preterite

Etymology

This word came into English via 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”, the comparative of prae, “before”) and itum (the past participle of eō, “to go”).