preterite
pronunciation
How to pronounce preterite in British English:
UK [ˈpretərət]
How to pronounce preterite in American English:
US
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- Noun:
- a term formerly used to refer to the simple past tense
Word Origin
- preterite (adj.)
- mid-14c., "having to do with the past," from Old French preterit "past tense" (13c.) and directly from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum "time past"), past participle of praeterire "to go by, go past," from praeter "beyond, before, above, more than" (see prae-) + itum, past participle of ire "to go" (see ion). Grammar sense is late 14c. The word also was a noun in Middle English meaning "past times" (late 14c.). Related: Preteritive. Preterite-present attested from 1813.