Where does “first” come from?

first (German) comes from Middle High German virst, from Old High German first, from Proto-Germanic firstiz, from Proto-Indo-European perst-.

first (German): ridge of a roof

Definitions

  1. ridge of a roof

Ancestry of “first”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanvirst—
2Old High Germanfirstspike, protuberance
3Proto-Germanicfirstizridgepole
4Proto-Indo-Europeanperst-—

Words derived from “first”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European perst- →Every word from Proto-Germanic firstiz →Every word from Old High German first →