penultimate etymology

Etymology:

• From Late Latin paenultimus, from paene ("almost") + ultimus ("last").

Meaning:

• Second to last; preceding the last.

Origin:

The term "penultimate" originated in classical Latin, where it was used to describe the second-to-last syllable of a word. It was derived from the Latin word "paene," which means "almost," and "ultimus," which means "last." The combination of these terms created a word that literally means "almost last."

In English, the term "penultimate" was first used in the 16th century to refer to the second-to-last syllable of a word. Over time, its meaning has expanded to include any item that is second to last in a series or sequence.

Examples of Usage:

• "The penultimate chapter of the novel brought the story to a thrilling climax."
• "The penultimate runner crossed the finish line just ahead of the pack."
• "The penultimate draft of the essay was much more polished than the previous version."

penultimate relate terms

• penultima

  Etymology The word penultima comes from Latin where it is formed from the combination

• ultimate

  Etymology Ultimate From Middle English ultimat from Late Latin ultimātus superlat

• proximate

  Etymology The word proximate comes from the Latin word proximus meaning nearest o

• propinquity

  Etymology of propinquity The word propinquity originates from the Latin word propin

• syllable

  Etymology The word syllable comes from the Late Latin word syllaba which in turn com

• abstruse

  Etymology The word abstruse originated from the Latin word abstrusus which means h

• mood

  Etymology The word mood derives from the Old English mod which means spirit dis

• Viking

  Etymology and Meaning The word Viking derives from the Old Norse word Víkingr which

• April

  Etymology April is derived from the Latin word aperire meaning to open This is lik

• rice

  Etymology The word rice comes from the Middle English word rys which is derived fro

• Albuquerque

  Etymology Albuquerque is derived from the Spanish name Alburquerque which is probably

• nail

  Etymology The word nail has multiple etymological origins Germanic nagul or nagl n

• succession

  Etymology The word succession comes from the Latin word succeděre which means to c