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ultimo

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word ultimo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 20 BC–30 AD, Velleius Paterculus
Ultimate origin
Latin (ultimus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin ultimus
Latin ultimo

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈʊɫ.tɪ.moː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈul.ti.mo][1]

Forms

ultimō (not comparable)[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin ultimus (“last, farthest”) + -ō.[2][4] De Vaan derives the adjective from Proto-Italic *ol-tamo- and Proto-Indo-European *h2ol-tmHo- (“furthest, last”), “most to that side”, from the root also found in olle, the older form of ille.[5] He compares Oscan últiumam (“last”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest author cited for it is Velleius Paterculus.[3]

Semantic evolution

It means finally, at the end, last of all.[2][6][3] Petronius and Suetonius use it.[6][3] Köbler records it in medieval Latin with the senses lately, recently, from about 1240.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 20 BC–30 AD – Velleius Paterculus uses it.[3][7]
  • before 66 AD – Petronius uses it.[6][7]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it in the Life of Nero.[6][3][7]
  • c. 1240 – Köbler finds it in the sense “lately”.[7]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Finally, at last, last of all.[2][6][3]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Lately, recently.[7]

Usage notes

A verb ultimō, ultimāre “to come to an end”, also from ultimus, appears in Tertullian: cum ultimarent tempora patriae, “when the times of the fatherland were drawing to a close”.[8][9][6]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
Cite this entry

“Ultimo.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/ultimo. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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