Where does “erste” come from?

erste (Middle English) comes from Old English ǣresta, from Proto-Germanic airist, from Proto-Germanic airi, from Proto-Germanic airiz — earlier, before; comparative degree of *airi.

Ancestry of “erste”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old English	ǣresta	first
2	Proto-Germanic	airist	earliest, at first; superlative degree of *airi
3	Proto-Germanic	airi	early
4	Proto-Germanic	airiz	earlier, before; comparative degree of *airi

Words derived from “erste”

erstwhile
erst

Every word from Proto-Germanic airiz →Every word from Proto-Germanic airi →Every word from Proto-Germanic airist →