Late or delayed beyond the expected or proper time.
From Latin 'tardus' meaning slow, which is related to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to rub' or 'wear away' - the idea being that slow things cause wear through prolonged contact. The word entered English through Old French 'tardif' in the 15th century. Interestingly, 'tardy' originally meant 'slow-moving' rather than 'late,' but since slow people are often late, the meanings merged.
The word 'tardy' literally comes from the ancient idea that slowness 'wears things down' - like how a slow-moving glacier carves through rock! This is why we have both 'tardy' (late) and 'retard' (to slow down) from the same Latin root, though they've taken very different paths in modern usage.
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