Erst

Alternative forms

• arste
• yerst dialectal

From Middle English erste, from Old English ǣresta ("first"), from Proto-Germanic *airistaz ("earliest, first"), equivalent to ere + -est. Cognate with North Frisian eerst, ærst ("first"), West Frisian earst ("first"), Dutch eerste ("first"), German erste ("first").

Full definition of erst

Adjective

1. (obsolete) First.

From Middle English erst, arst, erest, from Old English ǣrest ("first, erst, at first, before all"), from Proto-Germanic *airist ("erst"). Cognate with Scots erst ("erst"), Dutch eerst.

Adverb

1. (obsolete) First of all, before (some other specified thing).
2. (obsolete) Sooner (than); before.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, La Morte Darthur, Book X:Telle Kynge Marke that I woll com as sone as I am hole, for arste I may do hym no goode.
3. (archaic, poetic) Formerly, once, erstwhile.

Derived terms

• erstwhile

Anagrams

• rest, rest., REST