Where does “uppermost” come from?
Uppermost derives from Middle English -most combined with upper, which comes from Old English -mest, a superlative suffix meaning "most."
uppermost (English): At or nearest the top of something; superlative...
Definitions
- At or nearest the top of something; superlative...
Ancestry of “uppermost”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -most | Furthest; -est; "used to form superlatives of... |
| 2 | Middle English | -most | — |
| 3 | Old English | -mest | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *-umistaz | — |