In the study of language, the ultima is the last syllable of a word, the penult is the second-to-last syllable, and the antepenult is the third syllable from the end. For example, in a word with three syllables, the first syllable is called the antepenult, the second is the penult, and the third is the ultima.

Etymology

The word "ultima" comes from the Latin word "ultima (syllaba)," which means "last syllable." The terms "penult" and "antepenult" are shortened forms of "paenultima" and "antepaenultima." The word "penult" includes the prefix "paene," which means "almost," and "antepenult" includes the prefix "ante," which means "before."

Classical languages

In Latin and Ancient Greek, only the last three syllables of a word can have an accent. In Latin, the stress of a word depends on how long or heavy the second-to-last syllable is. In Ancient Greek, where the accent is placed and what kind of accent it is depends on how long the vowel in the last syllable is.