Wesan

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The Old English infinitive meaning to be, to exist, or to remain in a particular state
2. An archaic Old English verb form meaning to exist or to continue in a given condition
3. The Old English infinitive of the verb to be, used for existing or being in a certain state

Etymology: "Wesan" is an Old English verb meaning "to be," and it is the infinitive form that lies behind the modern word "be." Old English had several verbs for existence, and "wesan" was one of the main ones, sitting alongside "bēon," which is the source of the modern "be" in its most common uses. Over the centuries the two forms overlapped and were gradually sorted out, with "wesan" surviving in limited ways while "bēon" took over the infinitive role. The verb is inherited from Proto-Germanic "wesaną," a word that likely comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning something close to "to live" or "to dwell." Its verb forms were irregular and varied across tenses, which is part of why English eventually ended up with "be," "am," "is," "are," "was," and "were" drawn from several different sources. Modern English "was" and "were" descend from the Old English past-tense forms of "wesan," so the verb survives in English largely through its past tense rather than its infinitive.