English
best
Best comes from Old English bezt, betest ‘best’, from Proto-Germanic *batistaz ‘best’, superlative of *bataz ‘good’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- ‘good’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰed-1‘good’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bataz1‘good’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*batistaz1‘best’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*batist1reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bezt1‘best’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500best1‘best’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598best1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English best
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “[…] when he is beſt, he is a little…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰed-Wiktionary, English best‘good’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*batazWiktionary, English best‘good’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*batistazWiktionary, English best‘best’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*batistWiktionary, English bestreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150beztWiktionary, English best‘best’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bestWiktionary, English best‘best’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598bestWiktionary, English best. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “[…] when he is beſt, he is a little…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- ‘to unite, be associated, suit’
together, gather, goodness, gad, bettering, goodly, 3 more
through Proto-Germanic *gōdaz ‘good’
Today it means
adj Most; largest.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “best”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- / best