último

Forms

último (feminine última, masculine plural últimos, feminine plural últimas, superlative ultimísimo)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned borrowed from Latin ultimus (“farthest; last”).^[2][3][4][1] The Latin word is the superlative of an archaic *ulter (“lying beyond”), which survives in the adverbs ultrā (“beyond”) and ultrō.^[5][6] Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Italic *oltm̥mos, the source also of an Oscan form.^[1]

The same Latin word was borrowed as Portuguese último, Catalan últim, Italian ultimo and French ultime, the French word in about 1223.^[7][8][6][1] Spanish also has ulterior, taken from the comparative of the same adjective, and ultra, taken from the Latin adverb.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Corominas finds the first examples in the mid-15th century, in Juan de Mena and the Marqués de Santillana; the BDELC dates it to about 1440.^[2][3] In Alonso de Palencia's dictionary (1490) it is not clear whether the word is meant as Spanish or only as Latin, but Nebrija's dictionary treats it as Spanish, glossing it with Latin ultimus, extremus.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Classical texts use the word often, and it gradually took the place of the native words for “last”: postrero, postrimero, zaguero and cabero are now archaic or dialectal, while último is in general use.^[2] In 16th-century documents from the Americas it also meant “utmost”: a Chilean letter of 1552 speaks of hecho último de potencia “done all in my power”, and in Puebla in 1566 a muy último amigo is a very close friend.^[9] The Academy's dictionary of 1869 lists the senses “last in its line”, “last in a series”, “most remote” and “final, decisive”.^[10]

The phrase a la última “in the latest fashion” was noted by Román in Chile as a translation of French à la dernière; the Academy now records it as colloquial.^[11][4] In Chile último can mean “dreadful, very bad”, and in Cuba el último is one's place in a queue.^[12]

Timeline

• c. 1440 – first records, in Juan de Mena and Santillana.^[3][2]
• 2nd quarter of the 15th century – penúltimo.^[3]
• 1490 – Alonso de Palencia uses the word in his Latin–Spanish dictionary.^[2]
• c. 1495 – Nebrija glosses it with Latin ultimus, extremus.^[2]
• 1529 – first record in the Americas, in Nicaragua.^[9]
• early 17th century – the verb ultimar.^[3][2]
• 1843 – ultimátum is in the Academy's dictionary.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. last: having nothing after it in its line or series: Fue el último en salir.^[4][1]
2. latest, most recent: su última novela.^[1][13]
3. Most remote, farthest or most hidden.^[4]
4. final, definitive: Es mi última oferta.^[4]
5. Utmost, extreme of its kind.^[4]
6. Of a price, the lowest asked or highest offered; also as a neuter noun.^[4]
7. (Chile) Of a thing, dreadful, very bad.^[12]
8. (Cuba, as a noun) One's place when several people take turns.^[12]

Word family

• ultimar
• últimamente
• anteúltimo
• penúltimo

Related words

• ulterior
• ultimátum
• ultra
• postrero
• Latin ultimus
• Portuguese último

Usage notes

Por último means “finally, lastly”;^[1][4] a última hora is “at the last minute”, and a la última “in the latest fashion”.^[1][4] Malaret records estar a las últimas “to be at death's door”.^[14]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 5, 711
3. ^ a b c d e f g Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. último
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Real Academia Española (2001), Diccionario de la lengua española, 22nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, p. s.v. último
5. ^ Bénaben, Michel (2000), Dictionnaire étymologique de l'espagnol, Paris: Ellipses, p. s.v. último
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. ultime
7. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. último
8. ^ Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B. (1930–1962), Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 10 vols., Palma de Mallorca: Moll, p. s.v. últim
9. ^ a b Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. último
10. ^ Real Academia Española (1869), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 11th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de Don Manuel Rivadeneyra, p. 773
11. ^ Román, Manuel Antonio (1901–1918), Diccionario de chilenismos y de otras voces y locuciones viciosas, 5 vols., Santiago de Chile: Imprenta de San José, p. 600
12. ^ a b c Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2010), Diccionario de americanismos, Lima: Santillana; online at https://www.asale.org/damer, p. s.v. último
13. ^ Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. último
14. ^ Malaret, Augusto (1999), Vocabulario de Puerto Rico, critical ed. by Humberto López Morales, Madrid: Arco/Libros (1st ed. 1937), p. 327