From Old English 'latost' (most late), superlative of 'læt' (slow, late) — 'last' is literally 'latest.'
Coming after all others in time or order; most recent.
From Old English 'latost,' superlative of 'læt' meaning 'slow, late,' from Proto-Germanic *latistaz. 'Last' is literally 'latest' — the most late of all. Key roots: *lataz (Proto-Germanic: "slow, late").