postremo

Forms

postrēmō (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative of postrēmus (“last”), used as an adverb.^[2][1] De Vaan explains that adjective as ⟨*poster-isamo-⟩, a superlative of posterus (“later”), the old comparative of post (“after, behind”); that goes back to Proto-Italic *posti and Proto-Indo-European *pos(ti) (“after”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has vērum postrēmō impetrāvī, “but in the end I got my way”, and postrēmō haec mea culpa nōn est, “in short, this is not my fault”.^[2] Köbler first records it in Ennius.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Postrēmō is “last of all, lastly”, closing a list (Cato: plough the rough ground first, then the wettest, postrēmō the rest, Cicero: prīmum … deinde … postrēmō).^[2][1] It also means “on the last occasion, most recently” (Livy), “in the end, at last”, and, summing up, “in short, in fact”.^[2][1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: vērum postrēmō impetrāvī.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of the order of ploughing.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: prīmum … deinde … postrēmō.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Last of all, lastly.^[2][1]
2. Most recently, last.^[2]
3. In the end, at last, finally.^[2][1]
4. In short, in fact.^[2]

Related words

• postrēmus
• posterus
• post

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de