últimes

Últimes is the feminine plural form of the Catalan adjective últim, meaning last or latest. It agrees with feminine plural nouns and is used to indicate recency or finality in what is described. Common phrases include les últimes notícies (the latest news) and les últimes hores (the last hours). In headlines, the adjective may appear before the noun for emphasis, as in Últimes notícies a la Universitat X.

In grammar, últimes has the base forms últim (masc. singular), últims (masc. plural), última (fem. singular), and últimes (fem. plural). Its etymology traces to Latin ultimus, cognate with the Spanish último and related forms in other Romance languages. The choice between before or after the noun follows typical Catalan word order patterns, with the term frequently occurring before the noun in headlines and after in standard prose.

Usage and style notes: últimes commonly signals the most recent or final state of something and is frequent in journalism, media, and everyday speech. It can modify a wide range of feminine plural nouns, such as notícies, hores, setmanes, i acudits in idiomatic phrases like les últimes setmanes or les hores últimes. While essential to convey immediacy, its use is generally straightforward and follows standard gender agreement rules of Catalan.

Regional and linguistic context: the form exists across Catalan-speaking regions, including Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and the Balearic Islands, with the same gender and number agreement. It is one of several adjectives related to the concept of temporality and sequence in the language.