The R in the word for last: LERST(-A/-E), which appears 9 times in the OLB, can be a strong argument in favour of its authenticity. Old-Frisian dictionaries of the 19th century (and probably newer ones as well) only list "lest" without an R. (See examples Richthofen and Köbler below.)
As far as I know, "lerst" - with R - appears only once in Richthofen's
voluminous (600+ pages) "
Friesische Rechtsquellen" (1840), on p.235,
Emsiger §26:
Tha lerste, huasa lath werth wr marar anda wr merca...
How
likely is it that the supposed hoaxers would have been inspired by this
single exception, when they ignored so many more easily usable words and expressions
from the known dictionaries? For example, Richthofen's dictionary has several
examples of expressions with "lest", which were not used in OLB (only
'to tha lesta'?).
Richthofen (1840):
let (...) 3) im superl. letzte:
'thi blata is lethast alra nata' R. 122,1;
'sterue thet leste' (der kinder) R. 116,5;
'alsa ist al to there lesta' (weihe) R. 125,17;
'then lesten thredden del' E. 210,33;
'hi selua (schwöre) thine forma and thine lesta' (von 12 eiden) H. 54,15;
'dioe feste hetene' W. 394, 22;
'dina lesta ferdban' W. 436,27;
'thi lesta willa (der letzte wille) thera foreferena' 149,17;
'thene lesta dei' B. 155,3. 175,7;
'oppa thene lesta ende' (lebensende) B. 176,9. E. 188,21;
'op syn lesta tiid' W. 105,15;
'oen da lesta einde' W. 425,18. 433,17;
'aller lest' (zu aller letzt) W. 399,12;
'uppa leste' (zuletzt) H. 354,23;
'to tha lesta' H. 352,27.
Aus
dem positiv let (piger, segnis, tardus), ahd. laz, alts. lat, ags.
laet, isl. latr, neufr. let Epk. 265, entspringt der comparat. leter
(tardior, posterior), ahd. lezzer, alts. lator, ags. lator, laetr, und
superl. letast (tardissimus, ultimus), ahd. lezzest, ags. latost. Für
letast erscheint fries. gewöhnlich die gekürzte form lest, saterl. und
neufr lest Het. 242 und Epk. 265, wie im alts. last, lazt, lezt.
Hierüber und dass im hd. allmählig der compar. lezzer in dem sinne von
pigrior erstarrte, und seitdem eine neue form letzterer für ulterior
gebildet wurde, s. Grimm 3, 612. 613. 621. Compos. tolesta.
Köbler (2014):
lest (1), le-st, afries., Adj. (Superl.): nhd. letzte; ne. last (Adj.); Vw.: s. end-e-; Hw.: vgl. anfrk. letist, ahd. lezzisto*; E.: s. le-t; W.: nfries. lest, Adj. (Superl.), letzte; W.: saterl. lest, Adj. (Superl.), letzte
Below all OLB-fragments are listed with
1) LÉT (late),
2) LÉTER, LÉTTER(E), LÉTAR (later),
3) LEST(-E/-A/-EN), LERST(-E/-A) (last).
This is merely an initial inventory. Much more analysis can be done on it, for example if there is significant variety between the various authors/ texts.
Note: LEST is also used some times for trick/ruse (Dutch/German: List).
###
1) LÉT (2x)
late - English
laat - Dutch
let - Frisian
[082/13] Denmarks lost
ET WÉRE TO LÉT
it was too late
[095/16] Brunno
THACH TO LÉT
too late though
###
2) LÉTER, LÉTTER(E), LÉTAR
later - English, Dutch
letter - Frisian
LÉTER - 6x
LÉTTER - 2x
LÉTTERE - 1x
LÉTAR - 1x
[061/01] Tunis and Inka
LIK VSA STJÛRAR LÉTER DÉN HÀVE
like our steersmen have done later
[069/01] Jon
SÁ WI LÉTER HÉRDON
as we heard later
[114/24] Frethorik
ACHT JÉR LÉTTER
eight years later
[115/04] id.
THRJU JÉR LÉTTER
three years later
[117/29] id.
TJAN JÉR LÉTTERE
ten years later
[130/19] Ljudgert
THRJA DÉGA LÉTER
three days later
[141/21] Dela
THUSAND JÉR LÉTER
thousand years later
[201/25] Askar
HWÁNATH HI LÉTER ÛTGVNG
whence he later went out
[205/12] id.
EN JÉR LÉTER
one year later
[209/01] id.
LÉTAR HÀVON HJA
later they have
NB! (also used for 'later' are: ÀFTER and FORTHER)
###
3) LEST(-E/-A/-EN), LERST(-E/-A)
last - English
laatst(e) - Dutch
letzt(e) - German
lêst(e) - Frisian
LEST - 1x (ET LEST)*
LESTE - 1x (ET LESTE)
LESTA - 27x (TO THA LESTA - 17x, TO LESTA - 5x, TO THÀT LESTA - 1x, TO LÔNGE LESTA - 3x, ALONT THA LESTA - 1x)*
LESTEN -1x (TO LESTEN)
total: 30x
*4x LEST for trick/ ruse; 2x LESTA for idem plural)
LERST - 1x
LERSTA - 8x (TO THA LERSTA - 5x, TO LERSTA - 1x, TO LONGA LERSTA - 1x, THA LERSTA - 1x)
LERSTE - 5x (always used as normal adjective)
total: 14x
(NB: also used: ENDLIK for finally)
###
[001/16] Adela's speech
TO THA LESTA FRÉGE ÁDELA THÀT WIRD
finally Adela asked 'the word' (to speak)
[010/28] ode to Frya
TO THA LESTA SPRÀK TÒNGAR UT.A WÒLKA
in the end thunder spoke from the clouds
[011/14] Frya's Tex
TO THA LESTA SKILUN HJA MY HWITHER.SJA
in the end they shall see me again
[021/07] general laws
ÀND TO THA LESTA HJARA SELVA
and in the end themselves
[024/13] laws of mother and kings
ALONT THA LESTA
until the last
[033/19] Minno
TO THA LESTA KLÀPPATH HJA SLÁVONA.BANDA
in the end they clamp slave-shackles
[037/22] id.
TO LESTA LIK THA BARGA
in the end like the pigs
[039/06] id.
KÉMON WI TO THA LESTA
at last we came
[039/11] id.
ALSA.K ET LEST (...) WANDELDE
so in the end I traded
[058/19] Tunis and Inka: burg Stavre, Waraburg
TO THA LESTA KÉMON HJA
at last they came
[059/12] id.
GVNG TO LERSTA ELLA GOD
at last all went well
[062/30] burg Walhallagara
TO THA LESTA KÉMON ALLE STJÛRAR
at last all steersmen came
[064/12] id.
INNA LERSTE TÍD
'in the last time' (lately)
[065/03] id.
THI LERSTE WORDA
the last words
[068/15] id.
TO THÀT LESTA. LIK EN BUHL
in the end like a bull
[068/29] burg Texland
TO THA LESTA KÉMON HJA
at last they came
[069/11] id.
TO LESTEN KÉMON HJA
at last they came
[073/02] Gértmanna
TO THA LESTA FÍLON HJA
in the end they fell
[074/20] id.
ET LESTE LÁNDON HJA
they finally landed
[075/31] Fryasburg
AS ER TO LESTA SA
as he finally saw
[076/07] id.
HETHER TO LESTA (...) KRÉJEN
in the end he (has) received
[077/16] id.
THAT ER TO LÔNGE LESTA
that he at long last
[077/24] id.
TO LESTA ALLÉNA INTHA LANDIS TAL
in the end only in the language of the land
[080/06] Denmarks lost; on all burgs
TO LÔNGA LESTA BROCHTON HJA
at long last they brought
[083/18] id.
TO LÔNGA LESTA ÉPENDE HJU
at long last she opened
[084/19] id.
TO THA LESTA SKIL THAT FENINIGE KWIK
in the end the poisonous animals shall
[086/07] id.
AS ER TO LESTA EN SKIP
when at last a ship
 |
| In letzter Minute (1939) |
[087/28] Adelbrost
HIRA LERSTE WILLE
her last will (testament)
[093/19] Brunno
NÉI THÉRE LERSTE ACHT
after the last assembly
[105/07] Trást
TO THA LESTA HÀVON HJA
at last they have
[110/17] Apollanja
TO THA LERSTA KÉMON WI
lastly we came
[118/17] Frethorik
TIL ER TO THA LESTA
until in the end
[123/31] id.
THO THA LESTA KÉM.ER
at last he came
[132/12] id.
THÉR LERST KVMA MOSTA
that must come last
[134/18] Wiljo
THA LERSTE WILLE
the last will (testament)
[138/15] Dela
TO THA LERSTA MOST.ER FLUCHTA
in the end he had to flee
[139/08] id.
TO LONGA LERSTA SÉIDON HJA
at long last they said
[147/27] about Friso
TO THA LESTA BIJONDON THA SÉ.LANDAR
in the end the Sealander began
[148/30] about Friso
FRÉJE FRISO TO THA LESTA
finally Friso asked
[196/12] about Askar
TO THA LERSTA WARTH.ET
in the end it became
[199/15] id.
FON THA LERSTA KÉMON TO THA LERSTA EN ÉLE HÁPE
of the last a whole heap came in the end
[204/29] id.
TO THA LESTA WÀRTH HJU
in the end she became
[207/10] id.
THAT HJA TO THA LERSTA
that they in the end
