Get word before last word inside GNU makefile

I need to extract the word to the last from $(MAKEFILE_LIST)

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Until now, I couldn't think of anything better than this monster:

LIST := a b c

LAST_WORD_INDEX = $(words $(LIST))
BEFORE_LAST := $(word $(shell echo $(LAST_WORD_INDEX) - 1 | bc),$(LIST))
$(info word before last is $(BEFORE_LAST))

      

        
        
        
      

    

When I ran it:

word before last is b
make: *** No targets.  Stop.

      

        
        
        
      

    

The result is correct, but is there a more elegant and sane way to achieve the same?