Where does “last” come from?

Last comes from Middle English last, from Proto-Indo-European leys-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European kelh₂-, meaning to be hidden or concealed.

last (English): Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its...

Definitions

  1. Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its...

Ancestry of “last”, step by step

last traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English last

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlastfault, vice; load
2Old Englishhlæstload, freight, cargo
3Proto-Germanichlastuzload, burden, cargo, freight
4Proto-Indo-Europeankleh₂-to put; to lay out
5Proto-Indo-Europeankelh₂-to beat; to break

via Middle English laste

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlastelast
2Old Englishlætslow; slack, lax, negligent; late
3Proto-Germaniclētazfreeman; bondsman; serf
4Proto-Germaniclētanąto let, to allow; to leave alone
5Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₁d-to be tired

Words derived from “last”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- →