mæst
Old English
Etymology 1
From Proto-West Germanic *maist, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz and *maist.
Alternative forms
- māst
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mæːst/
Adjective
mǣst
- superlative degree of miċel, fela, and maniġ: biggest, most
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy
- Mǣst manna nū onhyreþ nēatum on þām þæt hīe wilniaþ weoroldlusta swā swā nīetenu.
- Most people now resemble animals in that they desire worldly pleasures like animals do.
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy
Usage notes
- When used with a countable noun, mǣst occurs in the singular, with the noun it describes in the genitive case: Mǣst manna is medume (“Most people are average,” literally “Most of people is average”).
- When it's used to mean “the most/the largest amount,” mǣst occurs without the word “the”: Hīe flīton hwelċ cynn hæbbe mǣst gold (“They were arguing over which race has the most gold”), Hīe woldon ġesēon hwæðer hæfde mǣst bearna (“They wanted to see who would have the most children”).
- When it means “biggest,” it's used like any other adjective and neither of the above rules apply.
Declension
Declension of mǣst — Strong
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | mǣst | mǣst | mǣst |
| Accusative | mǣstne | mǣste | mǣst |
| Genitive | mǣstes | mǣstre | mǣstes |
| Dative | mǣstum | mǣstre | mǣstum |
| Instrumental | mǣste | mǣstre | mǣste |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | mǣste | mǣsta, mǣste | mǣst |
| Accusative | mǣste | mǣsta, mǣste | mǣst |
| Genitive | mǣstra | mǣstra | mǣstra |
| Dative | mǣstum | mǣstum | mǣstum |
| Instrumental | mǣstum | mǣstum | mǣstum |
Declension of mǣst — Weak
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | mǣsta | mǣste | mǣste |
| Accusative | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣste |
| Genitive | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣstan |
| Dative | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣstan |
| Instrumental | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣstan |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣstan |
| Accusative | mǣstan | mǣstan | mǣstan |
| Genitive | mǣstra, mǣstena | mǣstra, mǣstena | mǣstra, mǣstena |
| Dative | mǣstum | mǣstum | mǣstum |
| Instrumental | mǣstum | mǣstum | mǣstum |
Descendants
- Middle English: maste, most, moste
- English: most
- Scots: maste, mast, maist
Adverb
mǣst
- superlative degree of miċele and swīþe: most
Usage notes
- Swīðost is often used instead of mǣst adverbially: sē cniht þe hē swīðost lufode (“the boy that he most loved”). In addition, neither mǣst nor swīðost is used to form the superlative of adjectives or adverbs. Instead, the suffix -ost or -est is used: hīwcūþ (“familiar”) → hīwcūþost (“most familiar”).
Derived terms
- ealra mǣst
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *mastaz. Cognate with Middle Dutch mast (Dutch mast), Old High German mast (German Mast).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mæst/
Noun
mæst m
- mast (of ship)
Declension
Declension of mæst (strong a-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | mæst | mæstas |
| accusative | mæst | mæstas |
| genitive | mæstes | mæsta |
| dative | mæste | mæstum |
Descendants
- Middle English: mast
- English: mast
- Scots: mast
Etymology 3
From Proto-Germanic *mastaz, from Proto-Indo-European *mad(z)do-. Cognate with Middle Dutch mast, Old High German mast (German Mast); and related to Latin madere (“to be wet”) and Old English mete (“food”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mæst/
Noun
mæst m
- mast (forest nuts, often used to feed pigs)
Declension
Declension of mæst (strong a-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | mæst | mæstas |
| accusative | mæst | mæstas |
| genitive | mæstes | mæsta |
| dative | mæste | mæstum |
Derived terms
- mæstan (“to fatten”)
Descendants
- English: mast