Where does “latter-day” come from?
latter-day (English) comes from English latter, from Old English lætra, from Old English læt, from Proto-Germanic lētaz, from Proto-Germanic lētaną, from Proto-Indo-European leh₁d- — to be tired.
latter-day (English): Modern, recent
Ancestry of “latter-day”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | latter | Relating to or being the second of two items;... |
| 2 | Old English | lætra | — |
| 3 | Old English | læt | slow; slack, lax, negligent; late |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lētaz | freeman; bondsman; serf |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |