I. ə̇st adjective suffix or adverb suffix
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -st, -est, -ost; akin to superlative suffixes Old High German -isto, -ōsto (in adjectives), -ist, -ōst (in adverbs), Old Norse -str, -astr (in adjectives), -st, -ast (in adverbs), Gothic -ists, -osts (in adjectives), -ist (in adverbs), Greek -istos (in adjectives), Sanskrit -iṣṭha (in adjectives); probably from the suffix represented by English -er (I) + the suffix represented by English -ed (I)
— used to form the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable
fatt est
lat est
new est
of certain adjectives and adverbs of two syllables
lucki est
often est
remot est
simpl est
and less often of longer ones
beggarli est
— often attached to words (as participles in adjectival use) that rarely if ever show a corresponding comparative formation in -er
cussed est
fighting est
lying est
— regularly accompanied by coalescence with final e of the base word, change of final postconsonantal y of the base word to i, or doubling of the final consonant of the base word immediately after a short stressed vowel; compare most II
II. ə̇st suffix
or -st st, after a vȯiced consonant zt or st
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -est, -ast, -st, 2d singular present endings of various classes of verbs (from earlier -es, -as, -s + -t, assimilated form of the 2d person pron. thū thou) & -est (from earlier -es + -t ), 2d singular past ending of weak verbs; akin to Old High German -ist, -ōst, -ēst (from earlier -is, -ōs, -ēs + -t, from thū, thu thou), 2d singular present endings, -ōst (from earlier -ōs + -t ), 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Gothic -is, -os, -ais, 2d singular present endings, -es, 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Old Norse -r, -ar, -ir, 2d singular present endings, -ir, 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Latin & Greek -s (preceded by various thematic vowels), 2d singular present ending, Sanskrit -si
— used to form the archaic second person singular indicative of English verbs (with thou )
gett est
did st
carri est
failed st
can st