The spelling of the word "wert prolific" may seem odd, but it is actually a variant of the phrase "were prolific." In IPA phonetic transcription, the pronunciation of "were" would be /wɜr/ and "prolific" would be /prəˈlɪfɪk/. The archaic use of "wert" instead of "were" is due to changes in the English language over time. Despite the unusual spelling, the meaning of the phrase remains the same – indicating that someone or something was very productive.