What is "penult"

Penult \Pe"nult\, n. [Abbreviated fr. penultima.] (Gram. & Pros.) The last syllable but one of a word; the syllable preceding the final one.

"last but one," 1530s, abbreviation of penultima. As a noun from 1570s.

n. 1 The next-to-last syllable of a word. 2 The next to the last in a series.

n. the next to last syllable in a word [syn: penultima, penultimate]

A penult is a linguistics term for the second to last syllable of a word. It is an abbreviation of penultimate, which means the next to the last item in a series. The most common use of the word is in linguistics, where the word "penult" usually means The penult follows the antepenult and precedes the ultima. For example, the main stress falls on the penult in such English words as banána, and Mississíppi. Occasionally, "penult" refers to the last word but one of a sentence.

The terms are often used in reference to languages like Latin and Ancient Greek, where the position of the pitch accent or stress of a word only falls on one of the last three syllables and is determined by rules, and sometimes in discussing poetic meter.

In certain languages, such as Polish and Welsh, stress is always on the penult.