preterite

The story

1. Latin · derived frompraeteritum
2. Old French · derived frompreterit
3. Middle English · inherited frompreterit
4. English todaypreterite

From Middle English preterit, from Old French preterit (13th century), from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum (“time past”)), the past participle of praetereō (“to go by, go past”), itself from praeter (“beyond, before, above, more than”) (comparative of prae (“before”)) + itum (the past participle of eō (“to go”)).