Etymologically
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dernier

Etymology and origin of the French word dernier

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1210–1220, Aimeri de Narbonne (derrenier)
Ultimate origin
Latin (retrō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɛʁ.nje/[1]
  • IPA: /dɛʁ.njɛ.ʁ‿/[1]
  • IPA: /dɛʁ.nje.ʁ‿/[1]

Forms

dernier (feminine dernière, masculine plural derniers, feminine plural dernières)[1] Old French derrain (before 1150), derrenier (1210–1220), contracted to dernier in the 15th–16th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a contraction of derrenier, formed on from Old French derrain (“last”) by analogy with premier.[4][2][3][5] “Derrain”, earlier “dererain”, comes from Vulgar Latin *dēretrānus, a derivative in “-ānus” of Late Latin dēretrō (“behind”) (from dē and retrō), which also gave derrière.[3][2][1][6]

“Derrain” was still used at the start of the 16th century, and survives in dialects of the north-east and far west; another type, “derrier”, is found south of a line from the Loire to southern Wallonia.[2][3] Related Romance forms are Old Occitan darreiran and Italian deretano.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1210–1220 in Aimeri de Narbonne, in the phrase estre au derrenier “to be behind all the others”.[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 13th century it was used of rank, the last in a list (1225–30, Guillaume de Lorris), and of time, as in Jean de Meun's li darrenierz jorz (1269–78).[4] Phrases followed for what has nothing after it: darrenieres paroles (early 14th century, Joinville) and derreniere voulenté (1461, Villon).[4][2]

From the 15th century it also meant “most recent” (ces derniers ans, 1560–61).[4][2] By exaggeration it came to mean “extreme” (le dernier supplice, 1559) and “the worst” (1568), as in le dernier des derniers (1768).[2] Petit dernier “youngest child” is found in 1615 and dernier-né in 1691.[7][2] Slang shortened it to der (1835), as in la der des ders, the war meant to be the last.[2]

Timeline

  • Before 1150 – Old French derrain.[2]
  • 1210–1220 – Au derrenier in Aimeri de Narbonne.[4]
  • 1269–1278 – Li darrenierz jorz in Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose.[4]
  • 1461 – Derreniere voulenté “last will” in Villon.[4]
  • 1559 – The contracted form dernier and the sense “extreme”.[2][4]
  • 1615 – Le petit dernier, the youngest child.[7]
  • 1691 – Dernier-né.[2]
  • 1740 – Avant-dernier.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. last: coming after all the others: le dernier mois de l'année.[8][9]
  2. After which there is no other: pour la dernière fois, dernières volontés.[6][8]
  3. Most recent, latest: l'an dernier, la dernière mode.[1][8]
  4. Extreme, utmost: au dernier degré; also the worst, the lowest: le dernier des hommes.[8][2]
  5. Ce dernier: the latter.[1]

Noun

  1. The last one: arriver le dernier, le petit dernier, the youngest child.[8][7]

Word family

  • avant-dernier

Usage notes

After the noun it means “just past” (l'an dernier), before it “last in a series” (la dernière année).[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 48b
  6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Dernier.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/dernier. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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