formative of the pa. pple. in some weak verbs, for earlier -d and -ed (see -ED1), due usually to the devocalization of d after a breath consonant, as in nipped, nip’d, nipt. In some verbs the use of t for -ed goes back to OTeut., esp. in app. contracted or irregular verbs, as bought, brought, might, thought, wrought (Goth. bauht, brâht, maht, þâht, waurht); in others it appears in WGer., as sought (Goth. sôkid, OS. and OE. sôht); in others only in OE. as laught, taught. But in the majority of cases the t is of later appearance, arising from the reduction of -ed to -’d, -d in Middle or Mod. Engl., with consequent devocalization of d, not only after breath consonants, as in dropt, nipt, crept, slept, swept, left, lost, tost, past, but, in certain cases, after liquids and nasals, as in felt, spelt, spill, dreamt, burnt, meant, pent; also in contracted formations, such as built, bent, lent, sent, spent, girt, cast. But in many words where the pronunciation has t, the current spelling is -ed, e.g., blessed, dropped, hushed, passed for blest, dropt, husht, past. See the article -ED suffix1.
