Why Can't You Say "last", But You Need "extreme"

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Last or last: how to speak correctly?

"Who's the last one here?" - the usual question is heard in the clinic. Is it set correctly? Wouldn't it be more polite to say "extreme"? Or, on the contrary, is this word considered a sign of bad taste? Let's try to consider the issue from the side of superstitions and norms of Russian speech.

Superstition about the word "last"

Perhaps you have already met people who, having heard the word “last” from someone, always try to correct their interlocutor: “You can't say that! Say "extreme". Where did this superstition come from? There is no exact answer to this question, but people who believe in this omen argue that the word "last" brings misfortune. Particularly negative is the use of the word in relation to any events or recurring dates - for example, "last birthday", "last New Year". It is believed that a person who says so will not live to see the next such holiday. It is also believed that the speaker brings trouble not only to himself, but to all listeners.

Apparently superstitious people are afraid of the modern counterpart of the last day of Pompeii

This sign is especially popular in aviation. Many people on board are extremely superstitious (hard to blame). Therefore, it is not customary for them to say "last flight" - instead, the flight becomes "last". There is an assumption that it was from the pilots that this sign was adopted.

Russian language norms

Is it correct to say "extreme" in the sense of "last"? Alas, no - the meanings of these words are different. The use of the word "extreme" instead of "last" betrays a poorly educated and superstitious person in the speaker.

The famous philologist Lev Vasilievich Uspensky devoted a small paragraph to the difference between these words in his work "The Word about Words". He argues that the word "last", apparently, is often replaced by the word "extreme" only because of negative associations. "The last" can be called a bad person from whom nothing good will come of. Therefore, in order to avoid such a negative color, some people try to replace it with "extreme", but this replacement is erroneous. As you know, a number of objects have two edges - the beginning and the end. Therefore, the word "extreme" can speak about the first in the row, and about the last.

Hence, it follows that to ask people in line "who is the last one?" it is impossible. It will be correct: "Who is the last?" But the word "extreme" can be used in meanings and phrases:

• located on the edge (for example, "the last house");
• unusually strong ("urgent need");
• instead of the word "last" in phrases such as "deadline".

Some superstitions do not want to detach from people in any way. However, there is no benefit from them - only harm to the language.