Middle English word ferst comes from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-, Proto-Indo-European *pr̥-, Proto-Indo-European *peri-, Proto-Indo-European *porst-, and later Proto-Germanic *firstiz (Post, ridge of a roof. Summit, peak.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *preh₂- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *pr̥- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *peri- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *porst- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *fres | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *firstiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Post, ridge of a roof. Summit, peak. |
| *frestą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | An appointed time; date. |
| *furizô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Former. |
| frist | Old English (ang) | |
| *furist | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | At first, firstly, in the first place. |
| first | Old English (ang) | |
| frest | Middle English (enm) |