"Wert needful" is an archaic English construction that means "were necessary". The spelling of this phrase reflects the pronunciation of English during the Late Middle English period. The word "wert" is pronounced /wɜː(r)t/, representing the second person singular past indicative of the verb "to be". Meanwhile, "needful" is pronounced /ˈniːdfʊl/ and means "necessary" or "required". Although the spelling of this phrase may seem unfamiliar to modern readers, it provides valuable insight into the historical development of the English language.
The phrase "wert needful" is a combination of two words: "wert" and "needful".
The word "wert" is the archaic second-person singular form of the verb "be" in the past tense. It is derived from the Old English word "wǣre", which meant "was" or "were". Over time, this form transformed into "wert", which was commonly used in Middle English.
On the other hand, "needful" is an adjective that comes from the Old English word "nēadfæl", which translates to "necessary" or "requiring attention". It is a combination of "need" and "-ful", which is a suffix meaning "full of" or "filled with".
The phrase "wert needful" thus means "were necessary" or "were essential".