Where does “last” come from?
last (German) comes from Middle High German last, from Old High German hlast, from Proto-Germanic hlastuz, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- — to beat; to break.
last (German): second-person singular/plural preterite of lesen
Definitions
- second-person singular/plural preterite of lesen
Ancestry of “last”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | last | — |
| 2 | Old High German | hlast | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hlastuz | load, burden, cargo, freight |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kleh₂- | to put; to lay out |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kelh₂- | to beat; to break |