ultimus Latin · revision 9433

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₂el-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈʊɫ.tɪ.mʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈul.ti.mus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ultimus''' (superlative, feminine ultima, neuter ultimum); first/second declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Also spelled ''ultumus''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the superlative of ⟨*ulter⟩ “beyond” (comparative [[ulterior]]), [[inh|itc-pro|*oltamo-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*h₂ol-tm̥Ho-|t=furthest, last]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with Oscan ⟨últiumam⟩ “last”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of what is farthest away.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant most distant, farthest, as in Plautus and Lucretius; remotest in time, earliest, as in the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium''; latest, final, as in Cicero; last in order, the end of a sentence, as in Horace; bringing the last stage, final, critical, as in Caesar; extreme in degree, as in Propertius; ultimate, beyond further analysis, as in Cicero; and lowest in worth, meanest, as in Horace.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant farthest, last, extreme, final, and the neuter plural the last things.^(Stelten 1995) Late Latin ''ultimāre'' “to come to an end”, from it, gave [[en|ultimate]] (1650s), and Medieval Latin ''ultimātum'' “a final statement” gave [[en|ultimatum]] (1731).^(Etymonline) It survives in Italian ''ultimo'' and Spanish ''último''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the final and ultimate.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1650s – English ''ultimate'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1731 – English ''ultimatum'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Most distant, [[m|en|farthest|alt=Farthest]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Earliest, remotest in time.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Last, final, [[m|en|ultimate]]; critical.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Extreme in degree.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Lowest, meanest.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ultimum]]

+ * [[paenultimus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ulterior]]

+ * [[ultrā]]

+ * [[en|ultimate]]

+ * [[en|ultimatum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}