*-ist

Runic: ᛁᛊᛏ Pronunciation: /ist/

suffix · forms adverbs

Function

forms the superlative of certain adverbs

Etymology

From the Proto-Indo-European formation: *-is-to-, from an elative suffix *-yos- ~ *-is- + *-tó- (Meier-Brügger 2003: 220–22). It was the inherited adverbial superlative suffix corresponding to comparative *-is and was commonly used with adverbs based on i-, u-, and ja-stems. Beside it, Proto-Germanic developed *-ōst, corresponding to comparative *-ōz, chiefly used with adverbs derived from a-stem adjectives. Note that the distribution of *-ist and *-ōst in adverbs based on a/ō-stem adjectives was lexical and analogical and not fully predictable (Fulk 2018: 219–20, 239–40).

Descendants

  • *-ist (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -ist (Old Dutch)
      • -st (Middle Dutch)
        • -st (Dutch)
  • *-ist (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -est (Old English)
      • -est (Middle English)
        • -est (English)
        • -est (Scots)
  • *-ist (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -st (Old Frisian)
      • -st (Saterland Frisian)
      • -st (West Frisian)
  • *-ist (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -ist (Old High German)
      • -est (Middle High German)
        • -st (German)
  • *-ist (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -ist (Old Saxon)
      • -est (Middle Low German)
        • -st (Low German)
  • -st (Old Norse)
    • -st (Danish)
    • -st (Faroese)
    • -st (Icelandic)
    • -st (Norwegian)
    • -st (Swedish)
  • -𐌹𐍃𐍄 (-ist) (Gothic)

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