letzter

See also: Letzter

German

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, (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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 (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Low German lättst.) Related forms are Dutch laatst and lest, English latest and last, Luxembourgish lescht, Hunsrik letst.

letzter (not comparable)

last
- 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?