Editly Etymology: passed vs past

The experts at Editly have become masters of commonly confused words over the course of their careers as editors, proofreaders, and rewriters. In Editly Etymology, they delve into their experience to offer a closer look into the horrifying beauty of the English language. This installment investigates a pair of words that has baffled for centuries: passed vs past. 

Passed Definition

Passed is the past tense form of the verb “pass,” meaning to move or cause to move in a specific direction—or to go past or across.

Past Definition

As an adjective, past means gone and no longer existing. As a noun, past means the time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing.

Did you catch that? Just to make sure, let’s ask AI to help us generate a visual representation of each of the words.

Passed = move in a specific direction, sometimes past or across.

Past = gone in time and no longer existing. 

Passed Root

Middle English: from Old French, from Latin.

Past Root

Middle English: variant of passed, past participle of pass.

Who is to Blame for this Confusion?

In the case of “passed” vs “past,” we have a rare case. While “passed” did indeed originally derive from Latin, the English are solely to blame for confusing themselves. For, in the past, they passed “pass” to make “past.”

AI Text on Passed

The word "passed" is the past tense and past participle form of the verb "pass," which has a diverse etymological background and a variety of uses in English. Here's how "passed" evolved:

1. Old French Influence: The verb "pass" entered English from the Old French verb "passer," which meant to go by, pass, or cross. This Old French word itself may have been influenced by the Latin "passus," meaning a step or stride, which is the past participle of "pandere," meaning to spread or stretch out. However, the Old French "passer" also possibly came from the Vulgar Latin "*passare," which means to step or walk, a derivative of "passus."
2. Development in Middle English: In Middle English, "pass" maintained these meanings related to movement, specifically referring to the act of moving past or crossing from one place to another. Over time, the verb began to be used in more figurative senses as well, such as passing time or passing judgment.
3. Formation of "Passed": The formation of "passed" as the past tense of "pass" follows the regular conjugation pattern in English, adding -ed to the base form. This indicates that it is a weak verb, which conforms to one of the most common ways to form the past tense in English.
4. Modern Usage: Today, "passed" is used in various contexts where something has moved from one place to another, a period of time has elapsed, a condition has changed, or an object has been transferred from one person to another. It is also used in legislative contexts, indicating that a law or resolution has been approved or enacted.
5. Current Connotations: "Passed" often carries implications of transition or change, and it can be used both in literal senses (such as physically moving past something) and metaphorical ones (such as overcoming an obstacle or enduring a period of time).

The evolution of "passed" from its Old French and Latin roots to its current usage in English showcases the dynamic nature of language, reflecting how words adapt and expand in meaning to meet the changing needs and contexts of their speakers. (350 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Passed

"Passed" is the past tense and past participle form of the verb "pass," which has a diverse etymological background.

1. Old French Influence: "Pass" entered English from the Old French verb "passer," meaning to go by, pass, or cross. “Passer” may have been influenced by the Latin "passus" (a step or stride), which is the past participle of "pandere" (to spread or stretch out). However, the Old French "passer" also possibly came from the Vulgar Latin "*passare” (to step or walk).
2. Development in Middle English: "Pass" maintained these meanings related to movement, specifically referring to the act of moving past or crossing from one place to another.
3. Formation of "Passed": The formation of "passed" as the past tense of "pass" follows the regular conjugation pattern in English, adding -ed to the base form.
4. Modern Usage: "Passed" is used in various contexts where something has moved from one place to another, a period of time has elapsed, a condition has changed, or an object has been transferred from one person to another.
5. Current Connotations: "Passed" often carries implications of transition or change, and it can be used both in literal and metaphorical senses.

The evolution of "passed" showcases the dynamic nature of language, reflecting how words adapt and expand in meaning to meet changing needs and contexts. (220 words)

Result of Changing the AI Content to Human Content

Humanization of the content has made the text dramatically more readable and straightforward, one indication of which is brevity. In this case, humanizing the content has reduced its word count from 350 words all the way down to 220 words—or by more than 37 percent—without losing any relevant meaning.

AI Text on Past

The word "past" has a multifaceted history in the English language, involving both its use as a noun, adjective, and preposition. Here's a look at its etymological development:

1. Latin Roots: "Past" derives from the Latin "passus," meaning "step" or "stride," which is the past participle of "pandere," meaning to spread or stretch out. This Latin root is also connected to the word "pass," reflecting the idea of movement or progression.
2. Old French Influence: The term entered English through Old French, where it was used in forms like "passé," meaning "gone by" or "elapsed." This use reflects a transformation from merely denoting movement to emphasizing the temporal aspect of moving beyond a certain point.
3. Development in Middle English: In Middle English, "past" began to be used as a preposition, noun, and adjective. As a preposition, it indicated movement beyond a certain point. As a noun, it referred to the time before the present, and as an adjective, it described something as being of a former time or having occurred earlier.
4. Modern Usage:
    
   • As a noun, "past" refers to the time before the present, often used to discuss history or personal experiences.
   •  As an adjective, it describes events, periods, or conditions that have occurred or existed before the present.
   • As a preposition, it indicates movement beyond something or later than a particular time.
5. Current Connotations: In contemporary use, "past" often carries a sense of something concluded or left behind, whether it's a period of time, an experience, or a location. It is a key word in discussions of history, memory, and sequences of events.

The history of "past" illustrates how it has evolved from a Latin term related to physical movement to a complex word used to describe temporal conditions and spatial relationships, reflecting its deep integration into the structural and thematic aspects of English. (308 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Past

"Past" has a multifaceted history in the English language, involving both its use as a noun, adjective, and preposition.

1. Latin Roots: "Past" derives from the Latin "passus" (step or stride), which is the past participle of "pandere" (to spread or stretch out).
2. Old French Influence: In Old French, it was utilized in forms like "passé," meaning "gone by" or "elapsed." This use reflects a transformation from merely denoting movement to emphasizing the temporal aspect of moving beyond a certain point.
3. Development in Middle English: "Past" began to be used as a preposition, noun, and adjective. As a preposition, it indicated movement beyond a certain point. As a noun, it referred to the time before the present. As an adjective, it described something as being of a former time or having occurred earlier.
4. Modern Usage:
    
   • As a noun, "past" refers to the time before the present.
   • As an adjective, it describes events, periods, or conditions that have occurred or existed before the present.
   • As a preposition, it indicates movement beyond something or later than a particular time.
5. Current Connotations: “Past" often carries a sense of something concluded or left behind, whether it's a period of time, an experience, or a location.

The history of "past" illustrates how it has evolved from a Latin term related to physical movement to a complex word used to describe temporal conditions and spatial relationships. (234 words)

Effect of Humanizing the AI Text

Humanization has made the AI text more concise through better diction and the elimination of unnecessary repetition. Taking a closer look, we can see that humanizing the text has reduced the word count from 308 words to 234 words—or by more than 24 percent—without losing any essential meaning.

The Takeaway

Whether it’s for passed or past, the best AI humanizer does, in fact, turn out to be a human. So, if you need any help to humanize your AI text, don’t wait to get started on Editly.