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

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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”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preterit

The same meaning is achieved by adding the particles mamaio or madeio to the preterit indicative; e.g., agueta mamaio or agueta madeio; or by adding tote to the preterit subjunctive; e.g., aguetareba tote.

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

Note.—The change in meaning from preterit to present, with retention of the preterit form, is not uncommon in other languages.

From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith

The preterit singular and past participle of Class I end in -ede and -ed, or -de and -ed respectively.

From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith

Note 2.—In the preterit singular, -ade, -ude, and -ede are not infrequent for -ode.

From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith

For the preterit, Raba, Naraba, or Ni voiteua are added to the indicative preterit; e.g.,

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

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