The word "wert after" may seem a bit confusing in terms of spelling, but when broken down phonetically, it becomes clearer. "Wert" is the archaic form of "were," with the "w" being pronounced as /w/ and the "er" as /ər/. "After" is pronounced as /ˈæftər/, with the "aft" sounding like "after" and the "er" pronounced as /ər/. Overall, the correct spelling of this phrase serves as a reminder that English language and spelling has evolved over time.
The phrase "wert after" is not a single word with a specific etymology. However, I can provide some information on the individual words "wert" and "after".
1. Wert: "Wert" is the archaic second-person singular past tense form of the verb "be" in the English language. It comes from Old English "wǣre" and Middle English "were". The origin of "wǣre" can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic root "*wesaną".
2. After: "After" is a preposition in Modern English, meaning "following in time or sequence" or "behind something/someone". It derives from Old English "æfter", which can be traced further to the Proto-Germanic "*aftiri".