preterit

American  

[pret-er-it] / ˈprɛt ər ɪt /

Or preterite

noun

Grammar.

1. in English, the simple past, or an instance or form of a specific verb in the simple past, such as ate or walked.

2. a verb tense, construction, or form in another language with a meaning similar to that of the simple past in English.

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adjective

1. Grammar. designating a verb tense expressing a past action or state.

2. Archaic. bygone; past.

Other Word Forms

• preteritness noun

Etymology

Origin of preterit

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin praeteritus “past, gone by,” past participle of praeterīre “to go by,” from praeter- preter- + īre “to go”; as tense name, from Latin (tempus) praeteritum “(time) past”

Example Sentences

The mountaineers who seem to have retained the older forms of the tongue use the itz, not only in the preterit, but in the present and future.

From The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt With the Translation of an Unpublished Memoir by Him on the American Verb by Brinton, Daniel Garrison

Also all verbes endyng in ir, as uenir, and such as come of him must al change ir in u for the preterit masculyn, and addyng an e to the sayd u for the feminin.

From An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly by Du Wés, Giles

And so forth thorow al the conjugation of I am, above written, and of this verbe I do, whiche is in the preterit imparfet je faisoie.

From An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly by Du Wés, Giles

In the preterit add Ta to the root.

From Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese Language by Spear, Richard L.

The parfyte is moche lyke the preterit indiffynityve of the indicatyve, as a ma uoullente que jaie aim�.

From An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly by Du Wés, Giles