Etymology: Either (i) < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic fasta , Old Swedish, Swedish fasta , Old Danish fastæ (Danish faste )), cognate with Old Frisian feste , faste (West Frisian fēste ), Middle Dutch, Dutch vaste , Old Saxon fasta (Middle Low German vaste ), Old High German fasta (Middle High German vaste , German †Faste ), all in a range of senses ‘process of fasting, period of fasting, Lent’ < the same Germanic base as fast v.², or (ii) a variant (with loss of final -n ) or alteration (after early Scandinavian: see above) of fasten n.With the possible loss of final -n compare maid n.¹ and see discussion at that entry; compare also Lent n.¹ Earlier currency (in Old English) is perhaps implied by attestations such as the following, if they are not simply scribal errors (for forms of fæsten fasten n., or in some instances, e.g. quot. lOE, perhaps intended as fæste , past tense of fast v.²):OE Ælfric Let. to Sigeweard (De Veteri et Novo Test.) (Laud) 68 Se apostol..for hine gebæd mid broðorlicre lufe..to þam hælende gelome, & eac mid fæste fela daga on an, oð þæt he him mildsunge beget.lOE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Faust. A.ix) (Dict. Old Eng. transcript) (1979) vii. 60 Eft syðþan se mæra witega Elias ealswa lange fæste [altered from fæsten; OE Cambr. Gg.3.28 ealswa lang fæsten] þurh Godes mihte swa swa se oðer gefylde.

Etymology: < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic festr rope, mooring rope, the act of mooring, iron halter, chain, Norwegian (Nynorsk) fest mooring rope, painter, Swedish fäst mooring rope) < the same Germanic base as fast v.¹ and fast adj.In the β. forms showing alteration after fast adj.

Etymology: < French faste pride, vanity, display of magnificence or wealth (16th cent. in Middle French) < classical Latin fastus (u-stem) pride, conceit, arrogance, of unknown origin.

Etymology: In sense 1 short for fast country n. at fast adj. Compounds 1. In sense 2 short for fast ice n. at fast adj. Compounds 1.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian fest (West Frisian fēst ), Old Dutch fast (Middle Dutch vast , vaste , veste , vest , Dutch vast ), Old Saxon fast (Middle Low German vast ), Old High German (Central Franconian) fast (Middle High German vast ), Old Icelandic fastr , Old Swedish faster (Swedish fast ), Old Danish fastær (Danish fast ), and also (with different stem class) Old Saxon festi (Middle Low German vest ), Old High German festi (Middle High German veste , vest , German fest ), all in a range of senses ‘firmly fixed, firm, strong, solid, compact, secure, steadfast, reliable, valid, determined, constant, permanent, close’, further etymology uncertain (see below). In the sense ‘quick, rapid’ (see sense 7a, and further developments in branch II.) apparently after the corresponding sense of the adverb (see fast adv. 7 and discussion at that entry). Further etymology. The Germanic adjective has been compared with Armenian hast firm, steady, Sanskrit pastya dwelling, and classical Latin postis post n.¹, but the connection in each case is uncertain, and alternative etymologies have been suggested for all of those. Alternatively, the Germanic word perhaps reflects a participial formation < the same Indo-European base as classical Latin pāscere to graze and Tocharian B pāsk- to protect (see pascent adj.), with a semantic development from ‘protected’ to ‘secure’ and ‘firm’. Specific senses. With uses with reference to tenacity (see sense 6) compare Old English fæsthafol (compare have v. and -le suffix 1) in senses ‘able to keep or hold, (of memory) retentive, niggardly’. Compare also later fast-handed adj. at Compounds 1. With sense 9 compare earlier to live fast at fast adv. and int. Phrases 2b. As the second element in compounds. Especially in Old English, but also in later periods, frequent as the second element in compounds (usually with nouns as first element, rarely with adjectives) in senses such as ‘firmly placed in or fixed to (a thing)’ or ‘firm in (a condition or state of mind)’, later also in the sense ‘resistant (to)’ (compare light-fast adj. at light n.¹ Compounds 3, waterfast adj.). Some of the early formations have parallels in other Germanic languages; compare earthfast adj., rootfast adj., steadfast adj., truefast adj. In some compounds in Old English the adjective approaches the status of a suffix conveying the meaning ‘having or characterized by (what is denoted by the first element)’, perhaps with implications of a continuous or stable state; compare e.g. blaed-fast adj., shamefast adj., etc.