erste German · revision 36240

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German|origins=gem-pro *air}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈeːrstə/, [ˈʔeːɐ̯stə], [ˈʔɛɐ̯stə]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''erste''' (no predicative form, strong nominative masculine singular erster, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|ērest]], [[inh|goh|ēristo]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*airist|t=earliest, first]].^(Kluge 2011|257)^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[osx|ērist]], [[gml|ērst]], [[dum|eerst]], [[ofs|erost]] and [[ang|ǣrest]], and today [[nl|eerst]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|8, 2205) It is the superlative of the comparative that lives on in [[eher]] ([[goh|ēriro|t=earlier]]), built on [[gem-pro|*air|t=early]], whose positive is [[got|𐌰𐌹𐍂|tr=air]] and [[non|ár|t=early]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|8, 2205) The comparative adverb is also in [[m|got|𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌹𐍃|tr=airis|t=earlier]].^(Kluge 2011|229)

+

+ The starting sense seems to have been “at daybreak”: Kluge and Duden compare [[grc|ἦρι|tr=êri|t=early in the morning]] and [[ae|aiiar-|t=day]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Duden 7 2020|223) In West Germanic the superlative became the ordinal number of [[eins]].^(Duden 7 2020|223)^(DWB2|8, 2205)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''ēristo'' is recorded from the 8th century; the first quotation in the revised Grimm is from the Benedictine Rule of about 790–802, ''fona eriston citi'' (“from the first hour”).^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|8, 2205) Schützeichel gives the senses “first, highest” and, as a noun, “beginning”, in the Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and Williram.^(Schützeichel 2012|91)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word first named what comes before everything else in time, and then also what stands highest in rank.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|242) In the 17th century a new comparative ''ersterer'' was formed in the sense “first”; later it was used only for the first-named of two, against ''letzterer''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|242)

+

+ Phrases replaced by adverbs include ''zum Ersten'' and ''fürs Erste'', beside [[zuerst]] (Middle High German ''zērist'', Old High German ''zi ērist''), [[vorerst]] (18th century, for older ''fürerst'') and [[erstens]] (18th century).^(Duden 7 2020|242)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Erstlich'' dates from the 16th century, and [[Erstling]] “first fruits, first child”, now chiefly “first work”, from the beginning of the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 790–802 – Old High German ''eriston'' is used in the Benedictine Rule.^(DWB2|8, 2205)

+ * Early 16th century – ''Erstling'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''erstlich'' “firstly” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The comparative ''ersterer'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|242)

+ * 18th century – ''erstens'' and ''vorerst'' come into use.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|242)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|first|alt=First]]: coming at the beginning of a series or sequence.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # First in rank or quality; the best: ''die Erste in der Mannschaft'' “the best in the team”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[erstens]]

+ * [[Erstling]]

+ * [[zuerst]]

+ * [[vorerst]]

+ * [[erstlich]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[eher]]

+ * [[erst]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Der erste Beste'' is “the first one that comes along”, and ''fürs Erste'' means “for the time being”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2020|242)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}