Origin and history of speedster

"open two-seat automobile," 1908, from road (n.) + -ster. Earlier it was used in reference to a type of light, horse-drawn carriage (1892); a horse for riding for pleasure (1818); and "a ship lying near the shore and working by tides" (1744).

Middle English spede, from Old English sped "success, a successful course; prosperity, riches, wealth; luck, good fortune; opportunity, advancement," from Proto-Germanic *spodiz (source also of Old Saxon spod "success," Dutch spoed "haste, speed," Old High German spuot "success," Old Saxon spodian "to cause to succeed," Middle Dutch spoeden, Old High German spuoten "to haste").

This is reconstructed to be from PIE *spo-ti-, from root *spes- or *speh- "prosperity" (source also of Hittite išpai- "get full, be satiated;" Sanskrit sphira "fat," sphayate "increases;" Latin spes "hope," sperare "to hope;" Old Church Slavonic spechu "endeavor," spĕti "to succeed," Russian spet' "to ripen;" Lithuanian spėju, spėti "to have leisure;" Old English spōwan "to prosper").

The meaning "rapidity of movement, quickness, swiftness" emerged in late Old English (at first usually adverbially, in dative plural, as in spedum feran). The meaning "rate of motion or progress" (whether fast or slow) is from mid-14c. The sense of "gear of a machine" is attested from 1866. Slang use in reference to methamphetamine or a related drug is attested by 1967, from its effect on users.

Speed limit "maximum speed" of a vehicle (originally a locomotive), limited either by law or capability, is from 1879; the police officer's speed-trap is from 1908 (trap (n.1) in the police sense is by 1906). Speed bump as a traffic control device is by 1975; the figurative use is by 1990s. Full speed "highest rate of speed" is recorded from late 14c. Speed reading first attested 1965. Speedball "mix of cocaine and morphine or heroin" is recorded from 1909.

Old English -istre, from Proto-Germanic *-istrijon, feminine agent suffix used as the equivalent of masculine -ere (see -er (1)). Also used in Middle English to form nouns of action (meaning "a person who ...") without regard for gender.

The genderless agent noun use apparently was a broader application of the original feminine suffix, beginning in the north of England, but linguists disagree over whether this indicates female domination of weaving and baking trades, as represented in surnames such as Webster, Baxter, Brewster, etc. (though modern spinster probably carries an originally female ending). For Dempster, see deem (v.).

Also compare whitester "one who bleaches cloth;" kempster (c. 1400; Halliwell has it as kembster) "woman who cleans wool." Chaucer ("Merchant's Tale") has chidester "an angry woman" (the 17c. had scoldster). "Piers Plowman" (late 14c.) has waferster "woman who bakes or sells wafers." A c. 1400 psalter has yongling tabourester "girl drummer" (for Latin puellarum tympanistriarum).

Also compare Middle English shepster (late 14c.) "dressmaker, female cutter-out," literally "shapester," sleestere (mid-15c.) "murderess, female killer" ("slay-ster"). Sewster "seamstress" (Middle English seuestre, late 13c. as a surname, also used of men) is still in Jonson but was obsolete or provincial after 17c.

In Modern English, the suffix has been productive in forming derivative nouns such as gamester (compare gamer), roadster, punster, rodster "angler," throwster "gambler," etc. But still with consciousness of sex; Thackeray (1850) has jocular spokester "female speaker or spokesman." Tonguester "talkative, loquacious person" seems to be a nonce-word (1871). "American Speech" in 1935 reported that "Singers are now tunesters to advertising writers for vaudeville and other entertainments." A 1798 dictionary of thieves' jargon has yapster "a dog."