letzte.

From Middle High German lest, a contraction of leȥȥest, from Old High German leȥȥist (also laȥȥōst), itself superlative of laȥ (cognate to English late). The modern German form with -tz- is of northern origin; two separate origins have probably met in it: Firstly, there is a general tendency in some Central German dialects of inserting -t- before comparative and superlative endings. (Compare for this, for example, Ripuarian fröh → fröhter, fröhtste). Secondly, Middle Low German lest, contracted superlative of lat (“late”), had a regular or regularized variant letst, which is very rare in writing, but may have been more common in spoken dialects. (Compare modern German Low German lättst.) Related forms are Dutch laatst and lest, English latest and last, Luxembourgish lescht, Hunsrik letst.