"wert frugal," spelled /wɜrt ˈfru-ɡəl/, is an archaic phrase in the English language that means "were thrifty." The word "wert" is the archaic past tense form of "be" and is pronounced /wɜrt/. "Frugal," pronounced /ˈfru-ɡəl/, is an adjective that describes a person who is economical or thrifty in the use of resources. While the phrase "wert frugal" is not commonly used in modern English, it represents a piece of the language's history and development.
The phrase "wert frugal" does not have a clear etymology because it is a combination of two separate words: "wert" and "frugal".
1. "Wert": In this context, "wert" is an old-fashioned second-person singular past form of the verb "be" in the subjunctive mood. It is derived from Middle English and Old English forms of "was" or "were", and it represents the archaic use of "be" in older English texts.
2. "Frugal": The word "frugal" is derived from the Latin word "frugalis", which means "economical" or "thrifty". This Latin word is derived from the Latin noun "frux" meaning "fruit" or "produce", which conveys the idea of using resources wisely.