An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/letzt

by Friedrich Kluge

letzt, superlative adjective, ‘last,’ from the equivalent Middle High German lęst, lęȥȥist, superlative of laȥ, adjective, ‘faint’; the Modern High German form seems to be due to Low German, which must have produced (lętist and lęzt (for lętst). These forms actually occur in the Heliand. In Old High German lęȥȥist, laȥȥôst, Anglo-Saxon lœtma and lœtmest (pointing to a Gothic *latuma, ‘latest’); also Anglo-Saxon latost, English last. The posit. of these Old Teutonic superlats. is the Old Teutonic adjectival stem lata- (see laß), literally ‘lazy, inactive, dilatory’; letzter originally means ‘most dilatory, latest’ (compare Anglo-Saxon and English late). In the phrase zu guter Leztz, ‘for the last time, finally,’ the noun is a corruption of Letz, which is connected with Middle High German lętzen, ‘to end, take one's leave, take refreshment,’ mentioned under letzen, hence the expression meant originally ‘as a choice farewell-banquet.’