What does ても mean here?


> 女性は「火葬できる日を聞くと、いちばん早くても亡くなってから11日あとでした。

[From this NHK easy
article](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10014108761000/k10014108761000.html)

What is the meaning of ても here? Is it like "Even the earliest (date).."




> Is it like "Even the earliest (date).."

Yes it is. Except it's not 早く + ても, but 早くて + も. The 早くて is the te-form of 早い,
and も is just the particle も meaning "also, even" as in 私 **も** 人間です(I'm
**also** a human) or 彼 **も** できない( **Even** he cannot do it).

A te-form is needed when you connect a clause to は or も to discuss it as the
topic, as seen in the following examples, normal 終止形 would not work and the
te-form is required.

(Copied from my previous answers)

> 全部食べ **る** もいい ❌ 全部食べ **て** もいい ⭕️  
>  行かな **い** はダメ ❌ 行かな **くて** はダメ ⭕️  
>

Therefore:

> いちばん早 **い** も亡くなって... ❌  
>  いちばん早 **くて** も亡くなって... ⭕️

