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Glite Dictionary
'twere

'twere

9.9
To say something would be true in older English, for example in poems or old books
  • auxiliary
  • Archaic
: fuera
  • If only 'twere possible to go back in time.

Examples

  • 'Twere foolish to ignore such wise advice.

  • 'Twere best to leave before the storm arrives.

  • In the old tale, 'twere said that the forest was enchanted.

  • 'Twere madness!

  • 'twere a shame.

  • 'Twere better to act now than to wait any longer.

  • 'Twere a deep regret to miss such a wonderful opportunity.

Surface Forms

'twere past
twere past
'Twere past

Morphology

'twere = it + were (semi-transparent) = 't + were

Form and meaning reflect 'it' + 'were' so the relation is visible, but the archaic contraction and subjunctive usage make it less immediately clear to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

'Twere is a short, old form of 'it were', like how it's is short for 'it is'. It was used in poetry and old stories to mean 'it would be' or to talk about things that might have happened, so you often see it when someone talks about what could or would have been.