Etymology Dictionary

ULTERIOR,  further, more remote.  (L.)   A late word; added by Todd to Johnson.—Lat. ulterior, further; comp. of ulter, beyond, on that side, an old adj. only occurring in the abl. ultra (= ultra parte) and ultro, which are used as adverbs with the sense of beyond; ultra is also used as a preposition.   β. Ul-ter is also a comparative form (ul-ter-ior being a double comparative, like ex-ter-ior from ex); cf. O. Lat. uls, ouls, beyond, which are allied to O. Lat. ollus, that, olle (= ille), he.   Hence ul-ter = more that way, more in that direction.   g. Prob. allied to inter- and interior; cf. Skt. antara, interior.   It is supposed that inter-, interior, intimate are allied to ulter-, ulterior, ultimate, from a common pronom. base ANA, that, he, this; cf. Skt. ana, this.   Der. ultra-, prefix, q.v.; ultim-ate, q.v.   Also outrage, utterance (2).