The phrase "wert happy" may seem like a spelling mistake to some, as it deviates from the modern standard grammar and orthography. However, it is actually an example of Early Modern English, a form of English that was spoken between the late 15th and mid-17th century. The word "wert" is a form of the verb "to be" in the second person singular past tense, while "happy" is spelled phonetically as /hæpi/. The combination of these two elements results in "wert happy," which means "you were happy" in modern English.
"Wert happy" is a phrase that was commonly used during the Early Modern English era, specifically in texts written by William Shakespeare. It is a contraction of the verb "wert" which is the second person singular past tense form of the verb "be," and "happy" which means feeling or expressing joy, contentment, or pleasure.
In this phrase, "wert" is derived from the archaic verb "to be" which means to exist or to have a specific quality. The contraction "wert" is used to indicate the past tense of the second person singular, meaning it refers to someone who was, at some earlier point, in a state of being.
When combined with "happy," the phrase "wert happy" suggests that the subject of the phrase was experiencing happiness or had been happy in the past. It implies that the person addressed in the second person singular form had experienced a state of joy, contentment, or pleasure at an earlier time.
"Wert happy" is often used in poetic or theatrical contexts, such as in plays or sonnets, to convey a sense of nostalgia or reflection upon past happiness. The phrase is a hallmark of Shakespearean English and may be unfamiliar to contemporary readers due to its archaic form and usage.
The phrase "wert happy" is a construction from Early Modern English, which was commonly used during the Shakespearean era. It is a shortened version of "were it not happy", where "wert" is the second-person singular past subjunctive of the verb "to be", and "happy" means fortunate or blessed. This phrasing can be found in works such as Shakespeare's plays and sonnets.