Where does “foremost” come from?
Foremost derives from Old English fyrmest, from Proto-Germanic frumistaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning forward or through.
foremost (English): first, either in time or in space; Most forward;...
Definitions
- first, either in time or in space; Most forward;...
Ancestry of “foremost”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | formest | first |
| 2 | Old English | forma | first |
| 3 | Old English | fore | before; forepart, front |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furai | before, in front of; before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “foremost”