sidst

Sidst is a Danish word that functions primarily as an adverb and, in certain constructions, as part of a determiner phrase. It denotes position in time or order, signaling the final element in a sequence or the most recently mentioned item. It is commonly contrasted with først (first) and senest (most recently).

As an adverb, sidst is used to indicate last place or last occurrence. Examples include coming last in a race or placing something at the end of a list: "Hun kom sidst i løbet," meaning she came last in the race. It can also appear in temporal phrases such as "til sidst," meaning in the end or finally.

In fixed expressions and noun phrases, sidst can form compounds that refer to the last of several items. For instance, "den sidstnævnte" means the last-mentioned or the latter, and "den sidst ankomne" refers to the last one to arrive. These constructions highlight sidst’s role in marking the final element within a group.

Related terms include først (first) and senest (the most recent). While senest is used to emphasize recency, sidst emphasizes position as the last item in a sequence, rather than mere timing. Etymologically, sidst originates in Danish and has parallels in other North Germanic languages, where forms meaning “last” or “at the end” appear in similar contexts.

Overall, sidst is a concise lexical tool for indicating end position or the final occurrence in Danish discourse.