Past tense of 'undergo,' meaning to experience or endure something, especially a process, change, or procedure. Often used to describe submitting to medical treatment or experiencing transformation.
From Old English 'undergan' meaning 'to go under or submit to,' composed of 'under' + 'go.' The modern form developed through Middle English, with the past tense following the same pattern as 'went' from 'go.'
The word 'underwent' beautifully captures the sense of going 'under' an experience - like going under anesthesia for surgery or being submerged in a transformative process! It's one of those irregular English verbs that preserves ancient Germanic patterns, making it a linguistic time capsule.
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