Etymologically
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ultimo

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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