wont
part of speech
noun (wont — formal, old-fashioned); adjective (be wont to — formal, old-fashioned)
meaning for a pupil
1) (formal, old-fashioned) If someone is wont to do something, they usually do it; it is their habit. tree →
2) (formal, old-fashioned) «As is his wont» means as he usually does. tree →
3) Without an apostrophe, «wont» is also a common misspelling of «won't» (will not). tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Wont means used to, in the habit of; the English is old-fashioned. In the primary lessons: It appears in old books, stories and very formal writing: «as was her wont, Granny took a walk after tea». In everyday life people say «usually» or «as always». In text messages people often type «wont» when they mean «won't», which is a spelling mistake in school writing.
examples
- We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; (Torah NUM.11.5, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the ass said unto Balaam: 'Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?' And he said: 'Nay.' (Torah NUM.22.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own. (Torah EXO.21.36, JPS 1917) tree →
- Great are Thy compassions, O LORD; quicken me as Thou art wont. (Writings PSA.119.156, JPS 1917) tree →
- Hear my voice according unto Thy lovingkindness; quicken me, O LORD, as Thou art wont. (Writings PSA.119.149, JPS 1917) tree →
- Turn Thee towards me, and be gracious unto me, as is Thy wont to do unto those that love Thy name. (Writings PSA.119.132, JPS 1917) tree →
- As was his wont, Grandad fell asleep after lunch. (old-fashioned) tree →
- She was wont to sing while she cooked. tree →
- The old cat was wont to sleep by the fire. tree →
- As is her wont, the teacher arrived early. tree →
- «I won't go» — not «I wont go». tree →
- He was wont to walk five miles each morning. tree →
- Woe was drowned, and the merchant began to live again as he had been wont to do of old. tree →
note
Say it like «won't» (in the UK, also «wunt»). It is rare and formal. The big trap: «won't» (will not) needs an apostrophe; «wont» means habit. «Wonted» means usual.
In the corpora
- and to them that were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
- Turn Thee towards me, and be gracious unto me, as is Thy wont to do unto those that love Thy name.
- Hear my voice according unto Thy lovingkindness; quicken me, O LORD, as Thou art wont.
- Great are Thy compassions, O LORD; quicken me as Thou art wont.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «wont» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.