Late means happening or arriving after the expected or usual time; it can also describe the end part of a period or someone who has died.
From Old English *læt*, meaning slow or tardy. Over time, its meanings broadened to cover time periods (like “late at night”) and the respectful sense for the deceased (“the late Mr. Smith”).
Calling someone “the late…” is a polite way to say they’re dead, not that they were always running behind. It’s the same word doing double duty: one about missing the bus, the other about missing life itself.
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