As an adjective or noun, “past” refers to a time that has already happened, before now. As a preposition, it can also mean moving beyond a place, like walking past a store.
“Past” comes from the Old French *pas* meaning “step” and from Latin *passus*, also meaning “step.” Over time, the idea of “having stepped beyond” turned into “gone by” in both space and time.
“Past” is basically the idea of a step that has already been taken. That’s why it works for both time and space—something can be past you in distance or past you in time. The word quietly reminds you that time is something you move through, like a road.
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