latter
See also: łatter
English
Etymology
From Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”). Doublet of later; also, cognate with last, whose doublet is latest.
Pronunciation
- (non-rhotic) enPR: lăt'ə(r), IPA(key): /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈlæt.əɹ/, [ˈlæɾ.ɚ]
Audio (US): (file) - Homophone: ladder (in accents with flapping)
- Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)
Adjective
latter (not comparable)
- Relating to or being the second of two items.
- The archaic past participle shapen is only used in misshapen, ill-shapen, and well-shapen (the latter two are much less common, though).
- March 2017, Jennifer S. Holland, “For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival.”, in National Geographic[1]:
- On sale next to dried fish and chicken feet were rats and bats (the latter's wings in a pile like leather scraps, also for sale), plus cut-up pigs and monkeys, their faces intact.
- 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:
- the difference between reason and revelation, and in what sense the latter is superior
- Near (or nearer) to the end.
- In the past, but close (or closer) to the present time.
- 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
- Hath not navigation discovered in these latter ages, whole nations at the bay of Soldania […] ?
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
- last (the superlative form of “latter”)
- latter-day
- latterly
- lattermath
Translations
relating to or being the second of two items
|
near (or nearer) to the end
|
close (or closer) to the present time
|
Anagrams
Danish
Etymology
From Old Norse hlátr, from Proto-Germanic *hlahtraz (“laughter”), cognate with Norwegian lått, English laughter and German Gelächter. Derived from the verb *hlahjaną (“to laugh”), cf. Danish le, English laugh, German lachen.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈlad̥ɐ]
Noun
latter c (singular definite latteren, not used in plural form)
Declension
| common gender |
singular | |
|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | |
| nominative | latter | latteren |
| genitive | latters | latterens |
French
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Verb
latter
- to lath
Conjugation
Conjugation of latter (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| infinitive | simple | latter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | lattant /la.tɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | latté /la.te/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | latte /lat/ |
lattes /lat/ |
latte /lat/ |
lattons /la.tɔ̃/ |
lattez /la.te/ |
lattent /lat/ |
| imperfect | lattais /la.tɛ/ |
lattais /la.tɛ/ |
lattait /la.tɛ/ |
lattions /la.tjɔ̃/ |
lattiez /la.tje/ |
lattaient /la.tɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | lattai /la.te/ |
lattas /la.ta/ |
latta /la.ta/ |
lattâmes /la.tam/ |
lattâtes /la.tat/ |
lattèrent /la.tɛʁ/ | |
| future | latterai /la.tʁe/ |
latteras /la.tʁa/ |
lattera /la.tʁa/ |
latterons /la.tʁɔ̃/ |
latterez /la.tʁe/ |
latteront /la.tʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | latterais /la.tʁɛ/ |
latterais /la.tʁɛ/ |
latterait /la.tʁɛ/ |
latterions /la.tə.ʁjɔ̃/ |
latteriez /la.tə.ʁje/ |
latteraient /la.tʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
present perfect | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | latte /lat/ |
lattes /lat/ |
latte /lat/ |
lattions /la.tjɔ̃/ |
lattiez /la.tje/ |
lattent /lat/ |
| imperfect2 | lattasse /la.tas/ |
lattasses /la.tas/ |
lattât /la.ta/ |
lattassions /la.ta.sjɔ̃/ |
lattassiez /la.ta.sje/ |
lattassent /la.tas/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | latte /lat/ |
— | lattons /la.tɔ̃/ |
lattez /la.te/ |
— | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||
Further reading
- “latter”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Norman
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Verb
latter
Synonyms
- (to cane): codrer, donner la tchêne, vrédîndgi, vrier
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Noun
latter m (definite singular latteren) (uncountable)
Synonyms
- lått (Nynorsk also)
Derived terms
- latterlig
- lattermild
- lættis
References
- “latter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.