Etymograph

English

first

First comes from Middle English first, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz, ultimately from PIE *per- ‘before’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-1‘before’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preh₂-1‘before’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furai1‘before’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furistaz1‘first’reconstructedsuperlative of *furai
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furist1reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150fyrest1
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500first1
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1699first1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English first
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1699, William Temple: “Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-Wiktionary, English first‘before’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preh₂-Wiktionary, English first‘before’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furaiWiktionary, English first‘before’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furistazWiktionary, English first‘first’reconstructedsuperlative of *furai
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furistWiktionary, English firstreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150fyrestWiktionary, English first
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500firstWiktionary, English first
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1699firstWiktionary, English first. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1699, William Temple: “Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the…”

Formed from fore + -est

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before’

support, far, per, report, further, price, private, press, practice, fear, opportunity, pre, primary, prior, prime, appreciate, port, prize, afford, pregnant, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, ferry, fare, porch, pardon, primitive, prix, pirate, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, prism, 155 more

through Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- ‘before’

for, premier, prestigious, forbid, primer, prairie, preface, primate, prefix, primacy, precede, preeminent, prescient, parasol, parley, portobello, impregnate, 17 more

through Proto-Germanic *furai ‘before’

before

Today it means

adj Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “first”. 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 *per- / first

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