erstwhile
/ˈɜːrstˌwaɪl/
adjective
Origin
Old English
ǣrest — first, soon
Overview
Meaning Now
- former; of or belonging to a previous time
- in the past; formerly
Literal older meaning
at a time formerly
Language path
Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
erstwhile
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The word is a relic of the Old English 'ær' (early), which evolved into the modern 'ere'. 'Erst' served as the superlative form ('earliest'), eventually acquiring the sense of 'previously'. By the 16th century, it was compounded with 'while' (time) to create an adverbial/adjectival term for things or people belonging to a past state.
Evolution
- Old English
ǣrest
“first, soon”
Superlative of 'ær' (before, early).
- Middle English
erst
“before, formerly”
Adverbial usage.
- 16th century
erstwhile
“formerly”
Combination of 'erst' + 'while'.
Connections
Word parts
erst
root
formerly
while
root
time
Related across languages
German
erst
first; only (just)
Dutch
eerst
first
Related words
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Related to erstwhile
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.