English
penultimate
From Latin paenultimus (“penultimate”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), from paene (“almost”) + ultimus (“last”).
A compound of paene ‘almost’ + ultimus ‘last’
Proto-Italic *-tm̥mos
Proto-Italic *oltm̥mos ‘last’
Latin ultimus ‘last’
Today it means
adj Next to last, second to last; immediately preceding the end of a sequence, list, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / penultimate