Past

A picture of a basketball bouncing, composed of frames taken at different point in the past

The past is the set of all events that occurred before a given point in time.[1] The past is contrasted with and defined by the present and the future. The concept of the past is derived from the linear fashion in which human observers experience time, and is accessed through memory and recollection. In addition, human beings have recorded the past since the advent of written language.[2] The first known use of the word "past" was in the fourteenth century; it developed as the past participle of the Middle English verb passen meaning "to pass."[3]

  1. ^ "past" (web article). Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  2. ^ Christian, David. "Record Keeping and History: How We Chronicle the Past" (web article). www.khanacademy.org. Khan Academy. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Past" (Web). Merram-Webster.com. n.d. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.