ærest

Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Superlative form of ǣr, from Proto-West Germanic *airist(ō).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈæːrest/

Adjective

ǣrest

  1. superlative degree of ǣr (early); first

Declension

Adverb

ǣrest

  1. at first
    • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
      ⁊ hē [Pirrus] hæfde XX elpenda tō þǣm ġefeohte mid him, þe Rōmane ǣr na ne ne ġesawon: hē wæs sē forma mon þe hīe ǣrest on Italium brōhte.
      And he [Pyrrhus] had twenty elephants with him in battle, which the Romans had never seen before; he was the first man to bring them to Italy.

Descendants

  • Middle English: erest, erst, arst