English
eld
Eld comes from Middle English elde ‘age, span of years’, from Old English ieldu ‘period’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*alþį̄‘eld, age’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aldī‘age, time period’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ieldu‘period’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elde‘age, span of years’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1398eld
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*alþį̄‘eld, age’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aldī‘age, time period’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ieldu‘period’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elde‘age, span of years’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1398eld
Earliest quotation: a. 1398, John Trevisa, Vol. I: “A forlyued cok leiþ eiren in his laste elde...…”
The story
Related also to Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌳𐍃 (alds, “generation, age”), Old English alan (‘to grow up, nourish’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’
as, all, else, adult, ultimate, alien, ultra, element, alternate, alter, alumni, qualification, outrage, ou, el, ellen, alpine, adolescent, abolish, alias, alum, alibi, retaliate, alimony, alp, proletariat, altruism, ulterior, parallax, coalesce, foetal, althea, aad, withal, 64 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós
old, altitude, alt, altar, alto, elder, exalt, altimeter, auld, 14 more
Today it means
noun One's age, age in years, period of life.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / eld