-most
See also: Appendix:Variations of "most"
English
Etymology
From Middle English -most(e), from earlier -mest, from Old English -(e)mest, from Proto-Germanic *-umistaz, from the comparative suffix *-umô (from Proto-Indo-European *-mHo-) + the regular superlative suffix *-istaz (whence English -est). The Middle English form is due to conflation with the originally unrelated superlative most. See foremost for more.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌməʊst/ (secondary stress; primary stress is on the stem)
Suffix
-most
- Furthest; -est; used to form superlatives of certain adjectives, especially directional and inherently-comparative ones.
- eastern + -most → easternmost
- nether + -most → nethermost
Usage notes
- Productivity of the suffix is limited in contemporary English.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
English terms suffixed with -most
- eldermost
- nearmost
See also
- secondmost (variant spelling of second most)