An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/letzt

by Friedrich Kluge

letzt, super. adj., ‘last,’ from the equiv. MidHG. lęst, lęȥȥist, super. of laȥ, adj., ‘faint’; the ModHG. form seems to be due to LG., which must have produced (lętist and lęzt (for lętst). These forms actually occur in the Heliand. In OHG. lęȥȥist, laȥȥôst, AS. lœtma and lœtmest (pointing to a Goth. *latuma, ‘latest’); also AS. latost, E. last. The posit. of these OTeut. superlats. is the OTeut. adject. stem lata- (see laß), lit. ‘lazy, inactive, dilatory’; letzter orig. means ‘most dilatory, latest’ (comp. AS. and E. late). In the phrase zu guter Leztz, ‘for the last time, finally,’ the noun is a corruption of Letz, which is connected with MidHG. lętzen, ‘to end, take one's leave, take refreshment,’ mentioned under letzen, hence the expression meant orig. ‘as a choice farewell-banquet.’