-st

See also: Appendix:Variations of "st"

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English -st; see -est.

Suffix

-st

(archaic) Verb suffix for the second-person singular; Alternative form of -est
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene v]:
  Thou com'st to use thy tongue.

Etymology 2

From the written form of first; see further etymology there.

Suffix

-st

Marks ordinals written in digits when the final term of the spelled number is "first"
the 21st century

Coordinate terms

-nd
-rd
-th

Translations

first

German: -st- (e.g. 1ste = erste)
Japanese: 第 (ja) (だい, dai)
Polish: -szy m
Swedish: -a (sv)

Etymology 3

-s +‎ -t of excrescent suffixes, with -s sometimes genitive.

Suffix

-st

Excrescent suffix (adding sound but largely not changing the meaning).
‎among + ‎-st → ‎amongst
‎mid + ‎-st → ‎midst
‎while + ‎-st → ‎whilst

Usage notes

When there is a shorter synonymous word (as in amongst/among), the form with -st is generally considered more formal, old-fashioned or affected in American English; whereas both are usually interchangeable in British English.

However, against is distinct in meaning from again, and midst is used in some contexts distinctly from mid.

Derived terms

against
alongst
amongst
beknownst
midst
unbeknownst
whilst
whomst

Anagrams

T's, TS, Ts, t's, ts

Dutch

Etymology 1

The suffix -st consists of two parts: a suffix -t (Proto-Indo-European *-ti) and an inserted -s-. The -s- is the result of a wrong segmentation of stem and suffix of a noun in cases where the stem of the noun ended with -s-. For example: a word like Dutch vorst (“frost”) could be interpreted as vors+t or as vor+st. This suffix existed already in Gothic (𐌰𐌽𐍃𐍄𐍃 (ansts), from 𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (unnan)).[1]

Suffix

-st f (plural -sten)

appended to the stem of a verb, this suffix yields a verbal noun; it is similar in function to the Dutch suffix -ing

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -st

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-st

appended to an adjective this suffix forms the superlative
vreemd (“strange”) → vreemdst (“strangest”)

References

A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, →ISBN; § 167

Faroese

Etymology

Old Norse -sk, reduced form of the reflexive pronoun sik (whence Faroese seg).

Suffix

-st

turns verbs into middle voice verbs

Derived terms

minnast

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German -est, from older -es through rebracketing in inverted forms like sizzes du → sizzestu → sizzest du (“do you sit”). Further from a merger of various Old High German conjugation suffixes, from Proto-Germanic, from Proto-Indo-European.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /st/ (standard)
IPA^(key): /t/ (alternatively after -sch-)
IPA^(key): /s/ (central-western Germany, chiefly informal)
IPA^(key): /ʃ/ (south-western Germany and Switzerland, chiefly informal)

Suffix

-st

Verb suffix for the second-person singular.
‎lachen (“to laugh”) + ‎-st → ‎du lachst (“you laugh, thou laughest”)
‎spielen (“to play”) + ‎-st → ‎du spielst (“you play, thou playest”)

Usage notes

In the present tense, the suffix becomes -t after s, ß, x, z: du schießt. After sch the spelling -t is standard only in Austria and South Tyrol, but the according pronunciation is common in most regions: du wäschst or wäscht.
The suffix becomes -est after d, t: du wartest. However, strong verbs with a vowel change have -st: du rätst. In obsolete usage the form -est was employed more freely also after other sounds.
In the strong past tense, -est is used after sibilants: du schossest. However, when the preceding vowel is long the form -t is possible alternatively: du aßest or aßt. After d, t the forms -est and -st are used in free variation: du rittest or rittst.

Etymology 2

From Middle High German -est, from a merger of Old High German -ist and -ōst, from Proto-Germanic *-istaz and *-ōstaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /st/

Suffix

-st

Forms superlatives of adjectives and adverbs, sometimes triggering umlaut.
‎klein (“small”) + ‎-st → ‎der kleinste (“the smallest”)
‎lang (“long”) + ‎-st → ‎der längste (“the longest”)
‎herzlich (“cordially”) + ‎-st → ‎am herzlichsten (“most cordially”)
‎schleunig (“speedily”) + ‎-st → ‎schleunigst (“straight away”)

Usage notes

Attributive superlatives are declined like other adjectives. Predicative and adverbial superlatives generally take the particle am before them and are accordingly declined in the neuter dative singular. Some adjectives/adverbs also have basic forms in -st, but these are generally lexicalised.
The suffix becomes -est after sibilants s, sch, ß, x, z and after d, t when the adjective has final stress: der kürzeste, weiteste (though der kürzte, weitste may be heard colloquially). When the last vowel is /ə/ or unstressed /ɪ/ the short form is used: der geeignetste, sympathischste. After other unstressed vowels both ways are possible: der elendeste or elendste.
The forms -st and -est are also both possible after stressed final vowels and after consonant clusters (except those involving -r-). Thus: der neueste or neuste, der schlankeste or schlankste. The formal language prefers the long forms while the vernacular prefer the short ones.

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -st

Hungarian

Etymology

From -s (adjective-forming suffix) +‎ -t (locative suffix) in the Old Hungarian period. The adverbial sense of the locative suffix -t can be shown only in this -st morpheme.[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ʃt]

Suffix

-st

(adverb-forming suffix) Forms an adverb of manner.

Usage notes

It is no longer productive and can be found only in a few adverbs: bízvást, egyenest, fogvást, folyvást, folyton-folyvást, homlokegyenest, képest, mármost, mihelyst, most, nézvést, oldalvást, óvást, örömest, rögvest, szemlátomást, üstöllést, valamelyest, vegyest.[2]

Harmonic variants:
-est
öröm (“joy”) → örömest (“with joy”)

Derived terms

Hungarian adverbs suffixed with -st

References

-st in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)
Papp, Ferenc (ed.). A magyar nyelv szóvégmutató szótára (’Reverse-Alphabetized Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, p. 495.

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse -sk, reduced form of the reflexive pronoun sik (whence Icelandic sig).

Suffix

-st

turns verbs into middle voice verbs

Derived terms

berast
biðjast
bjóðast
bregðast
brjótast
drepast
elskast
eyðast
fást
finnast
gerast
gleðjast
haldast
heilsast
kveðjast
kyssast
látast
leiðast
líðast
minnast
segjast
setjast
sjást
týnast
tærast
venjast
virðast
ætlast

Ingrian

Etymology 1

Uncertain:

Possibly identical to the elative marker (see below), exhibiting an archaic function of the elative, found also in archaic or dialectal Finnish -sta.
Alternatively, from Proto-Finnic *-stik, reanalysed as identical to the elative marker after vowel reduction. In this case akin to Finnish -sti and Estonian -sti.

Pronunciation

(Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /-stɑ/, [-s̠tɑ], /-stæ/, [-s̠tæ]

(Soikkola) IPA^(key): /-st/, [-ʃt]

Suffix

-st

Used to form adverbs of manner from adjectives; -ly

Usage notes

In the Soikkola dialect, may trigger vowel elongation of the preceding vowel.

Derived terms

Ingrian terms suffixed with -st

-staa

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-sta. Cognates include Finnish -sta and Estonian -st.

Pronunciation

(Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /-stɑ/, [-s̠tɑ], /-stæ/, [-s̠tæ]

(Soikkola) IPA^(key): /-st/, [-ʃt]

Suffix

-st

Used to form the elative case; out of

Usage notes

In the Soikkola dialect, may trigger vowel elongation of the preceding vowel.

Inflection

Possessive forms of -st
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	-staan	-stamme
2nd person	-staas	-stanne
3rd person	-staa	-stasse

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German -est, from Old High German -ist, -ōst, from Proto-Germanic *-istaz, *-ōstaz.

The expected form would be -scht as still in bescht (“best”) and meescht (“most”). The form -st is native in the northern third of Luxembourg and spread southwards, probably in part because the suffix is used in positions where /ʃ/ otherwise does not occur, and in part under the reinforcing influence of standard German.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /st/

Suffix

-st

Forms the superlative of adjectives; -est

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch -ist, -ost, from Proto-Germanic *-istaz, *-ōstaz.

Suffix

-st

Forms the superlative of adjectives; -est

Derived terms

See Category:Middle Dutch adjective superlative forms.

Related terms

-er

Descendants

Dutch: -st

[1] A. van Loey, "Schönfeld's Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands", Zutphen, 8. druk, 1970, →ISBN; § 167

[2] -st in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)

[3] Papp, Ferenc (ed.). A magyar nyelv szóvégmutató szótára (’Reverse-Alphabetized Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, p. 495.