Word Origin & History
foremostO.E. fyrmest "earliest, first, most prominent," from P.Gmc. *formo- (related to O.E. fruma "beginning"), superl. of the root of Eng. fore + additional superl. suffix -est. Cf. O.Fris. formest, Goth. frumists. Altered on the assumption that it is a compound of fore and most.