Origin and history of last

c. 1200, "latest, final, following all others," a contraction of Old English latost (adj.) "slowest, latest," superlative of læt (see late (adj.) and compare latest); in some uses it is from late (adv.). Cognate with Old Frisian lest, Dutch laatst, Old High German laggost, German letzt.

The meaning "last in space, furthest, most remote" is attested from late 14c.; the sense of "most unlikely or unsuitable" is by mid-15c. The meaning "most recent, next before the present" (as in last night, last September) is attested from late 14c.; latest would be more correct, but idiom rules and the last time I saw her might mean the most recent time this hour or the final time forever.

The biblical last days ("belonging to the end") is attested from late 14c. Last hurrah is from the title of Edwin O'Connor's 1956 novel. Last word "final, definitive statement" is from 1650s; a dying person's last words so called by 1660s; also see famous.

As an adjective, last-minute indicating "done at the latest possible time" is attested by 1905, in reference to Christmas shopping. Last-chance (adj.) is attested by 1958, earlier in place names, nicknames (e.g. "Last Chance Louie," in custody of prohibition agents, Nevada, 1920). Expression if it's the last thing I do, indicating strong determination, is attested by 1905.

"endure, go on existing," Middle English lastan, lesten, from from Old English læstan "continue, endure," earlier "follow (a leader), accomplish, carry out, perform," from Proto-Germanic *laistjan "to follow a track" (source also of Gothic laistjan "to follow after," Old Frisian lasta "to fulfill, to pay (duties)," German leisten "to perform, achieve, afford"), which is reconstructed to be from PIE root *lois- "furrow, track."

It is related to the shoemaker's last (n.1), but not to last (adj.). The sense of "hold out, continue unexhausted or unconsumed, escape failure" is attested from late 12c. The meaning "continue unimpaired, remain fresh or unfaded, stand up under use" is attested by c.1300. Related: Lasted; lasting.

"wooden model of a human foot on which shoemakers form a shoe," Middle English lest, from Old English læste "shoemaker's last," earlier last "track, footprint, footstep, trace," from Proto-Germanic *laisti- (source also of Old Norse leistr "the foot," Middle Dutch, Dutch leest "form, model, last," Old High German leist "track, footprint," German Leisten "last," Gothic laistjan "to follow"), related to Old English læran "to teach" and reconstructed to be from PIE root *lois- "furrow, track."

"end, conclusion, termination," late Old English, "the last or final man, object, time, etc.," from last (adj.). It is attested from late 14c. as "most recent person, latest comer." Also in Middle English, "duration" (early 14c.), from the verb. Phrase at (the) last is from c. 1200; extended form long last is from 1520s. To the last is attested from c. 1400.

c. 1200, "most recently," a sense now obsolete; early 13c. as "at the end of the series, after all others" (contrasted to first); a contraction of Old English lætest (adv.), superlative of late (see late (adj.)). The sense of "for the last time, on the last occasion before the present" is attested by c. 1300.

"a burden, a cargo," especially "a load of some commodity with reference to its weight and commercial value," c.1300, from Old English hlæst "a load," from hladan "to lade, load" (see lade (v.)). Borrowed into Anglo-French as lest, which influenced the Middle English form. Cognates include Old Frisan hlest, Dutch last, German Last "a load." Related: Lastage "the lading of a ship," and compare ballast.