Where does “Best” come from?
Best comes from Middle English beste, from Old English betst, the superlative of gōd, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *batistaz meaning "most good."
Best (English): Most; largest
Definitions
- Most; largest
Ancestry of “Best”, step by step
Best traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English best
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | best | Alternative form of beste; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | bist | second-person singular present of bēon |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | biusi | second-person singular present active indicative... |
via German Beste
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Beste | a river in Germany |