The word "rootest" may seem confusing in terms of spelling. However, it follows the typical pattern seen in the superlative form of verbs ending in -oot such as "shoot" or "hoot". The IPA transcription of "rootest" is /ˈru:təst/ where the stress is on the first syllable. This word is commonly used in Shakespearean literature and means "most firmly or deeply rooted". So, while the spelling may not be intuitive, the pronunciation follows the typical pattern of the English language.
The word "rootest" is formed by combining the root word "root" with the suffix "-est". The etymology of "root" can be traced back to the Old English word "rot", which originally meant "root, source, or origin". It derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*wrat-", meaning "root" or "branch". The suffix "-est" is the superlative inflectional ending in Old English, often used to form adjectives indicating the highest degree of a quality or action. In this case, "rootest" would imply the superlative degree of the adjective "root". However, it is worth noting that "rootest" is not a commonly used word in modern English.