letzte

From Middle High German lest, a contraction of lezzest, from Old High German lezzist (also lazzōst), itself superlative of laz (cognate to English late). The modern German form with -tz- is of northern origin; two separate origins have probably met in it: Firstly, there is a general tendency in some Central German dialects of inserting -t- before comparative and superlative endings. (Compare for this, for example, Ripuarian fröh → fröhter, fröhtste). Secondly, Middle Low German lest, contracted superlative of lat (“late”), had a regular or regularized variant letst, which is very rare in writing, but may have been more common in spoken dialects. (Compare modern German Low German lättst.) Related forms are Dutch laatst and lest, English latest and last, Luxembourgish lescht, Hunsrik letst.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛt͡stə/

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• Hyphenation: letz‧te

letzte (no predicative form, strong nominative masculine singular letzter, not comparable)

1. last

   Das war der letzte Zug. ― That was the last train.

   Er hat seine letzte Freundin betrogen. ― He cheated on his last girlfriend.

   • 1931, Arthur Schnitzler, Flucht in die Finsternis, S. Fischer Verlag, page 38:

     Vielleicht träume ich? Vielleicht ist es mein letzter Traum, den ich träume, der Traum auf dem Sterbebett?

     Maybe I am dreaming? Maybe it is my last dream, which I am dreaming, the dream on the deathbed?

• “letzte” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “letzte” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon