firstling

English

Etymology tree

English first

Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.

Proto-Germanic *-ilaz

Proto-Indo-European *-n̥kʷo-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Proto-Germanic *-īnaz

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Germanic *-gaz

?

Proto-Germanic *-ingaz

Proto-Germanic *-ilingaz

Proto-West Germanic *-ling

Old English -ling

Middle English -lyng

English -ling

English firstling

From first + -ling.

firstling (plural firstlings)

The first produce or result, notably firstborn offspring.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 4:4:
  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto II”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
  The seasons bring the flower again,
  ⁠And bring the firstling to the flock;
  ⁠And in the dusk of thee, the clock
  Beats out the little lives of men.
The first of a class or kind.
The thing first thought or done.
- 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, [Act IV, scene i]:
  From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.

firstling (not comparable)

Firstborn.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 15:19:
  All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.