'kept' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'cepan,' where 'cepan' meant 'to seize or hold.'

'cepan' transformed into the Middle English word 'kep,' and eventually became the modern English word 'keep' and its past form 'kept.'

Initially, it meant 'to seize or hold,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to retain or maintain.'