Definition of went

The word "went" is an old English verb that has been in use for over a thousand years. It has its origins in the Old English past tense and past participle form of the verb "gan," which meant "to go" or "to become." The word "went" is formed by combining the "en" infix, which was a common feature of Old English verb conjugation, and the past tense ending "-t." This infix served to indicate a past tense or past participle form of the verb, depending on the context. In Middle English, the use of this infix began to fade, and by the 15th century, it had almost entirely disappeared from English grammar. As a result, the word "went" came to be used as a standalone verb, without any infixes or specialized endings to indicate its past tense or past participle form. Today, "went" is a common verb in English, used to indicate the past tense of the action of going, such as "I went to the store yesterday." Its origins in Old English grammar may be obscure to modern speakers, but its usage is as familiar as the act of actually going somewhere.