| Anglo-Saxon. | English. |
| Innema (inn-ema), | Inmost (in-m-ost). |
| Ûtema (ût-ma), | Outmost (out-m-ost). |
| Siðema (sið-ema), | Latest. |
| Lætema (læt-ema), | Latest. |
| Niðema (nið-ema), | Nethermost (neth-er-m-ost). |
| Forma (for-ma), | Foremost (fore-m-ost). |
| Æftema (aft-ema), | Aftermost (aft-er-m-ost). |
| Ufema (uf-ema), | Upmost (up-m-ost). |
| Hindema (hind-ema), | Hindmost (hind-m-ost). |
| Midema (mid-ema), | Midmost (mid-m-ost). |
Now the words in question show at once, that, as far as they are concerned, the m that appears in the last syllable of each has nothing to do with the word most.
From the words in question there was formed, in Anglo-Saxon, a regular superlative form in the usual manner; viz., by the addition of -st; as æfte-m-est, fyr-m-est, læte-m-est, sið-m-est, yfe-m-est, ute-m-est, inne-m-est.
Hence, in the present English, the different parts of the syllable most (in words like upmost) come from different quarters. The m is the m in the Anglo-Saxon words innema, &c.; whilst the -st is the common sign of the superlative. Hence, in separating such words as midmost into its component parts, we should write
| Mid-m-ost | not | mid-most. |
| Ut-m-ost | — | ut-most. |
| Up-m-ost | — | up-most. |
| Fore-m-ost | — | fore-most. |
| In-m-ost | — | in-most. |
| Hind-m-ost | — | hind-most. |
| Out-m-ost | — | out-most. |
[§ 260]. In certain words, however, the syllable m-ost is added to a word already ending in -er; that is, already marked with the sign of the comparative degree.
| Neth-er-m-ost. | Hind-er-m-ost. |
| Utt-er-m-ost. | Out-er-m-ost. |
| Upp-er-m-ost. | Inn-er-m-ost. |