Etymograph

English

elder

Elder comes from Proto-Germanic *aldaz ‘old, grown up’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aldazas *alþizô‘old, grown up’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150eldra
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eldre
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1692elder

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aldazas *alþizô‘old, grown up’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150eldra
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eldre
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1692elder

Earliest quotation: 1692, Roger L’Estrange, (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name : “Carry your Head[…] as your Elders have done.”

The story

The vowel change from a to e triggered by the following i is called umlaut or I-mutation.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’

as, all, else, adult, ultimate, alien, ultra, element, el, alternate, alumni, qualification, outrage, alter, ellen, alpine, adolescent, abolish, alias, alum, alibi, retaliate, alimony, alp, proletariat, altruism, parallax, ulterior, coalesce, foetal, althea, withal, 64 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós

alt, altar, altitude, alto, exalt, altimeter, eld, 14 more

through Proto-Germanic *aldaz ‘old, grown up’

old, ou, auld, aad, 2 more

Another origin of elder

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*elernazreconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150ellærn
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eldre
  4. Englishtodayelder

Another origin of elder

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*alaną‘to nourish’uncertain
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aliþro‘udder’uncertain
  3. Englishtodayelder

Today it means

adj Closer to the dealer, i.e. receiving cards earlier than others.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / elder

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