Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
penult [pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- the next to the last syllable in a word.
Also pe·nul·ti·ma [pi-nuhl-tuh-muh] /pɪˈnʌl tə mə/. Origin of penult 1530–40; Latin paenultima (syllaba), contraction of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima Examples from the Web for penultima Historical Examples of penultima
But Ἀργυρία, with the accent on the penultima, becomes the name of a town.
The Geography of Strabo, Volume II (of 3)
Strabo
Disyllables lengthen the penultima, as ‘stable’, ‘title’, ‘pupil’.
Society for Pure English Tract 4
John Sargeaunt
Trisyllabic verbs throw the stress back and shorten the penultima, as ‘dsŏlate’, ‘sffŏcate’, ‘scntĭllate’.
Society for Pure English Tract 4
John Sargeaunt
A fully stressed vowel before a mute and r, or before d or pl, was pronounced long in the penultima.
Society for Pure English Tract 4
John Sargeaunt
With no vowel before the penultima the long quality is, as usual, preserved, as in ‘satiety’.
Society for Pure English Tract 4
John Sargeaunt
British Dictionary definitions for penultima penult penultima (pɪˈnʌltɪmə) noun
- the last syllable but one in a word
Word Origin for penult C16: Latin paenultima syllaba, from paene ultima almost the last Word Origin and History for penultima n.
1580s, from Latin penultima (syllaba), “the next to the last syllable of a word or verse,” from fem. of Latin adjective penultimus “next-to-last,” from paene “almost” + ultimus “final” (see ultimate).
penult adj.
“last but one,” 1530s, abbreviation of penultima. As a noun from 1570s.