eerste

Forms

eerste (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch eerste, inherited from Old Dutch *ēristo, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *airist, the superlative of an adverb Proto-Germanic *air (“early”).^[2][1][3] The comparative of the same adverb is eer “before”, and eerder continues the comparative adjective.^[2] Old Dutch had ⟨eriste⟩ as the ordinal and ⟨erist⟩ as the adverb, both formed with the superlative suffix -ist.^[2][4] The adverb lives on as eerst, and Middle Dutch used ⟨erst⟩, ⟨ierst⟩ and ⟨eerste⟩ for both.^[2][5][6]

The same superlative is Old Saxon ērist, Old High German ērist (modern German erst), Old Frisian ērost (modern West Frisian earst) and Old English ǣrest (archaic English erst, as in erstwhile).^[2][7][3] The Philippa dictionary gives the Germanic superlative as *airista-.^[2] The base adverb *air meant “early in the day”: it gave Old Norse ár (“early”) and Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂 (air), and it is related to Ancient Greek ἦρι (êri, “early”) and Avestan ayarə (“day”).^[2][3] The Philippa dictionary takes these probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eier- (“day, morning”), which may belong to a root *h₂ei- (“to burn, shine”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The ordinal is first recorded in the Egmond Williram of about 1100, which speaks of thiu erestan ęcclesiam, the first church planted in Jerusalem, and of that eriste uers, the first verse.^[4][2][8] Middle Dutch ierste “first” appears in 1276–1300 and erste in 1290.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the word in many set phrases: dat eerste “the first time” (1301), in den eersten “in the first place” (1339) and metten eersten “as soon as possible” (1461).^[6] In charters of the 1290s erst comende meant “next”, of a feast day still to come.^[5] The derivative eersteling meant the first produce of the year in the early 17th century and a firstborn child in the early 19th.^[2]

Besides “first in a series” the modern word means “most important”, as in de eerste burger, the mayor, and in the name of the Eerste Kamer, the Dutch senate.^[9][10] Dutch speakers took the ordinal to Negerhollands (eerste, ērstǝ), Berbice Dutch (esti) and Javindo, and in Gimán erste became the name of a children's game of marbles.^[11][1]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Old Dutch eriste and erestan “first” in the Egmond Williram.^[4][2]
• 1276–1300 – Middle Dutch ierste “first”.^[2]
• 1290 – The form erste.^[2]
• 1339 – In den eersten “in the first place”.^[6]
• 1461 – Metten eersten “as soon as possible”.^[6]
• early 17th century – Eersteling “first fruits” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Numeral

1. first: coming before all others in order, time or place: de eerste bus van de ochtend.^[9][1][10]
2. Foremost, most important: de eerste burger, the burgemeester.^[9][10]

Noun

1. The first one, the person or thing that comes first: zij was de eerste die het merkte.^[10][9]

Word family

• eersteling

Related words

• eerst
• eer
• eerder
• English erst

Usage notes

De eerste de beste is anyone at all, the first who comes along, and niet de eerste de beste someone of importance.^[9] The ordinal is abbreviated as 1e or 1ste.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
7. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
9. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
10. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)