Wandelte

Wandelte is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb wandeln. In contemporary usage wandeln has two main senses: to walk or stroll, and to change or transform. The physical sense is more literary or historical, while the figurative sense of change remains common in everyday speech.

Etymology and meaning: The verb wandeln is of Germanic origin; the related noun Wandel denotes change or transformation. In modern German, Wandel appears in phrases such as im Wandel der Zeit (in the course of time) or der gesellschaftliche Wandel (societal change). In everyday language, move-by-walk senses are less common today, with gehen or spazieren gehen often preferred for plain walking, while wandeln can be used for more deliberate movement or for formal, literary contexts.

Conjugation and usage: The simple past forms are ich wandelte, du wandeltest, er wandelte, wir wandelten, ihr wandeltet, sie wandelten. The past participle is gewandelt. Examples: Er wandelte durch den Park. Die Situation wandelte sich im Laufe der Jahre. In phrases such as im Wandel der Zeit, wandelt sich the meaning is figurative, indicating ongoing change rather than physical motion.

Notes: Wandeln remains a somewhat formal or literary verb in modern German, especially for the sense of change. When describing walking as a physical activity, other verbs are typically used; wandeln appears in historical, poetic, or formal prose. The past tense form wandelte is a common narrative device to place actions in the past.