English
latter
Latter comes from Old English læt ‘late’, from Proto-West Germanic *lat ‘slow, lazy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- ‘to be tired’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₁d-‘to be tired’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lh₁d-o-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lataz‘slow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lat‘slow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150læt‘late’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lætracomparative form of læt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500latter
- Englishearliest quotation 1689same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₁d-‘to be tired’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lh₁d-o-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lataz‘slow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*lat‘slow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150læt‘late’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150lætracomparative form of læt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500latter
- Englishearliest quotation 1689same form
Earliest quotation: 1689, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […]: “Hath not navigation discovered in these latter ages, whole…”
Formed from late + -er
Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- ‘to be tired’
…
Proto-Germanic *lataz ‘slow’
Proto-West Germanic *lat ‘slow’
Old English læt ‘slow’
Middle English late ‘slow’
English late
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- ‘to be tired’
through Proto-Germanic *lataz ‘slow, sluggish’
through Old English læt ‘late’
Today it means
adj Near (or nearer) to the end.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- / latter