17497
If context is needed, please consult
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/17487/long-phrase-
translation-%E3%81%82%E3%81%AE%E5%AD%90%E3%81%A8%E3%82%82%E9%81%95%E3%81%86%E7%A7%98%E5%AF%86%E3%82%92%E6%8C%81%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%81%BF%E3%81%9F%E3%81%84%E3%81%A7%E5%BE%8C%E3%82%8D%E3%82%81%E3%81%9F%E3%81%84%E6%B0%97%E5%88%86%E3%81%A0)
previous question.

So, there's [a
bunch](http://www.jisho.org/words?jap=%E6%8C%81%E3%81%A3&eng=&dict=edict) of
verbs related to "持っ" but how can any of them evolve to 持った?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-18T11:47:54.707
17494
2014-06-18T16:12:16.397
2017-04-13T12:43:44.863
-1
4801
question
words etymology
What does 持った mean?
The past tense ～た attaches to the 連用形 "continuative form" of verbs, which for
consonant stem verbs is formed by adding `-i-` to the stem, and for vowel stem
verbs is formed by adding nothing.

For vowel stem verbs, this is fairly simple:

```

        寝る       n **e** -ru   →    　寝た    n **e** -ta
        見る       m **i** -ru   →    　見た    m **i** -ta
```

For consonant stem verbs, it's more complicated. Depending on which consonant
the stem ends with, we find an additional set of sound changes:

```

        書く      ka **k** -u    →   *書きた   ka **k** -i-ta    →    書いた  ka- **i-t** a　
        脱ぐ      nu **g** -u    →   *脱ぎた   nu **g** -i-ta    →    脱いだ  nu- **i-d** a　
        話す    hana **s** -u    →    話した hana **s** -i-ta
        持つ      mo **t** -u    →   *持ちた   mo **t** -i-ta    →    持った   mo **t-t** a　
        死ぬ      si **n** -u    →   *死にた   si **n** -i-ta    →    死んだ   si **n-d** a　
        運ぶ    hako **b** -u    →   *運びた hako **b** -i-ta    →    運んだ hako **n-d** a　
        噛む      ka **m** -u    →   *噛みた   ka **m** -i-ta    →    噛んだ   ka **n-d** a　
        やる      ya **r** -u    →   *やりた   ya **r** -i-ta    →    やった   ya **t-t** a　
        言う       i **w** -u    →   *言いた    i **w** -i-ta    →    言った    i **t-t** a　
```

Note that /w/ disappears before all vowels except /a/, so `i **w** -u` is 言う,
`i **w** -anai` is 言わない, etc.

Three otherwise regular consonant stem verbs are irregular here:

```

        行く       i **k** -u    →   *行きた    i **k** -i-ta    →    行った    i **t-t** a　
        問う      to **w** -u    →   *問いた   to **w** -i-ta    →    問うた   to **o-t** a　
        請う      ko **w** -u    →   *請いた   ko **w** -i-ta    →    請うた   ko **o-t** a
```

These last two reflect western sound changes, while the regular verbs reflect
eastern sound changes.

And our irregular verbs are irregular as usual:

```

        する       suru    →    　した      si-ta
        来る       kuru    →    　来た      ki-ta
    
```

The same changes apply when adding て, たり, たら, or たって rather than た.

* * *

In this answer, the `*` symbol indicates that a form is considered incorrect
in Modern Japanese, and is included only to show you how the forms "evolved"
(as you asked).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-18T15:15:28.880
17497
2014-06-18T16:12:16.397
2014-06-18T16:12:16.397
17494
answer