penultimate

penultimate · adjective¹

1. Latinpaene
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
3. Proto-Italic*oltm̥mos
4. Latinultimus
5. Latinpaenultimus
6. English todaypenultimate

From Latin paenultimus (“penultimate”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), from paene (“almost”) + ultimus (“last”). Equivalent to pene- + ultimate. Compare French pénultième.

penultimate · noun²

From a substantivation of the above adjective. Equivalent to Latin paenultimus + -ate (noun-forming suffix).