Where does “last” come from?
last (Old French) comes from Old Dutch last, from Proto-Germanic hlastuz, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- — to beat; to break.
Ancestry of “last”, step by step
last traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Dutch last
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | last | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hlastuz | load, burden, cargo, freight |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kleh₂- | to put; to lay out |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kelh₂- | to beat; to break |
via Frankish *hlast
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankish | *hlast | — |