Talk:late

"Latest" also has the meaning of most recent. As in "Have you heard the latest news?" or "Suzie's latest boyfriend is really cute."
 * Those use latest, not late. Cheers! bd2412 T 21:31, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

late
corrected the header (it was later) &mdash; Beobach972 04:40, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Rfv - Sense 6 (adjective)
 * 6. Abbreviation for the word Later when used as an informal goodbye.
 * Nice talking to you. Late.

Firstly, it's not an adjective this way. Secondly, I've never seen or heard this "abbeviation". --EncycloPetey 17:54, 21 May 2007 (UTC)


 * It's definitely American, and in use. Obviously an interjection, not adjective.  The "shortened form of later (goodbye)" sense is the top definition on Urban Dictionary, by quite a margin.  What is needed to pass verification? -- Thisis0 18:16, 5 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Three independent citations, in durably archived media, conveying meaning, spanning at least one year. † Raifʻhār Doremítzwr 18:31, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

RFV failed, sense removed. —Ruakh TALK 07:36, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Adjective, Sense 5.
I believe this is actually an extension of an EME sense "the previous holder (of a position or office)", as in "The late Master of The Rolls confirmed my pension before his retirement." It links with the sense "towards the end of a period of time", where we now use "recently" "... Sir William Hamilton, lately returned from his Embassy to Naples, ..." This sense of late implies "deceased" when referring to a hereditary peer and holders of office for life, since that is almost the only way they relinquish their position, and that has overtaken the original meaning in an age when few people talk about "the late Duke of Norfolk", but do talk about "the late John Lennon". But it can still be used in the original sense, albeit only in rather formal contexts, when referring to the office rather than the man, for instance "The late Prime Minister, Tony Blair, ..." although at time of writing he is very much alive. Is that actually a new sense, or should it be merged into sense 5?

late (adj) extra sense?
Doesn't this word also mean "pregnant" or having lost one's period? Tooironic 00:44, 17 January 2010 (UTC)
 * This has since been added. 70.172.194.25 10:17, 19 February 2022 (UTC)

RfV January 2013
English Noun. late:
 * 1) (dialectal or obsolete) Manner; behaviour; outward appearance or aspect.
 * 2) (dialectal or obsolete) A sound; voice.

There is a single citation for the second sense.

Is this attestable in Modern English? It seems more likely in Middle English, though Middle Scots is also a possibility. I cannot find the single citation given (of the second sense), except in other dictionaries. It might be from works or fragments dated between 1275 to 1499 or even later editions with altered spelling. DCDuring TALK 15:01, 28 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Attestations into the EME period (post 1470ish) are usually as lait: and are all apparently Scottish. Leasnam (talk) 05:53, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Clocked out OED, anyone? DCDuring TALK 03:08, 18 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Moved to Middle English. — Ungoliant (Falai) 20:46, 11 September 2013 (UTC)

The Hendersons late of Pablo Fanque's Fair
what does the adverbial example "The Hendersons late of Pablo Fanque's Fair " exactly mean? --Backinstadiums (talk) 15:40, 3 April 2020 (UTC)


 * Formerly or recently. I would assume that the Hendersons attended or arranged that fair in the past, but not any more. Equinox ◑ 15:43, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Near the end of a period; Well into evening
Toward the end of a period of time, These birds tend to nest late in the year. At or until a point well into the evening or night, Their flight is due late on Friday.

--Backinstadiums (talk) 10:11, 4 April 2020 (UTC)
 * We should definitely add senses to late, or broaden sense #1. "Past a deadline" doesn't cover these examples. 70.172.194.25 10:14, 19 February 2022 (UTC)

lately
For which adverbial meaning(s) is lately a synonym? --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:07, 28 August 2020 (UTC)
 * late ≈ lately. 70.172.194.25 10:16, 19 February 2022 (UTC)

adjective: lat•er or lat•ter; lat•est  or last
Adjective: later  or latter; latest  or last The other two inflectional forms aren't mentioned, why? --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:55, 21 November 2020 (UTC)
 * late, later, latest is the progression in modern English. latter and last may have historically been related, but you cannot use latter to mean more late or last to mean most late in general, and most contemporary speakers would not consider them forms of late. That's just my explanation of why it is the way it is, though. I'm not sure whether or not we should list them as alternative comparative and superlative forms of late; it would certainly require a qualifier if so. We could at least put them under related terms. 70.172.194.25 10:07, 19 February 2022 (UTC)

The late is elliptical for lately (i.e., recently) deceased
However, I am not sure what meaning of ellipsis is used here --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:59, 19 February 2022 (UTC)
 * See late and ellipsis. 70.172.194.25 10:02, 19 February 2022 (UTC)