Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “-est” come from?

-est (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic -istaz, from Proto-Indo-European -istHos, from Proto-Indo-European -yōs, from Proto-Indo-European -yoss.

-est (Old English): suffix forming feminine nouns, originally from...

Definitions

  1. suffix forming feminine nouns, originally from...

Ancestry of “-est”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic-istaz-est
2Proto-Indo-European-istHos—
3Proto-Indo-European-yōsForms adjectives from roots, meaning "very" or...
4Proto-Indo-European-yoss—

Words derived from “-est”

  • nearest
  • waist
  • dearest
  • longest
  • fastest
  • waistcoat
  • clearest
  • warmest
  • meanest
  • ablest
  • fittest
  • knowest
  • severest
  • lightest
  • gravest
  • wast
  • mayest
  • busiest
  • waistband
  • sayest
  • barest
  • cleanest
  • soundest
  • goest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yoss →