Where does “first” come from?
First comes from Middle English first, Old English fyrst, Proto-Germanic furistaz, and Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós, meaning foremost or earliest in position or time.
first (English): Preceding all others of a series or kind; the...
Definitions
- Preceding all others of a series or kind; the...
Ancestry of “first”, step by step
first traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ferst
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ferst | — |
| 2 | Old English | fyrest | first |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | furist | at first, firstly, in the first place |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furistaz | first, foremost |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | furi | for, before; before, forward |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |