English
old
Old comes from Middle English old ‘elderly’, from Old English ald ‘old, aged, ancient, antique, primeval’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltós‘grown’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aldaz‘grown-up’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aldreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ald‘old’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500old‘elderly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599old
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltós‘grown’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aldaz‘grown-up’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aldreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ald‘old’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500old‘elderly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599old
Earliest quotation: 1598–1599, Much Adoe about Nothing: “URSULA: Madam, you must come to your uncle. Yonder's…”
The story
Inherited from Middle English old, oold, from Old English ald, eald (‘old, aged, ancient, antique, primeval’), from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (‘grown-up’), originally a participle form, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós (‘grown, tall, big’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-
as, all, else, adult, el, ultimate, element, alien, ultra, alternate, alter, ellen, alumni, qualification, outrage, alpine, alias, adolescent, alum, abolish, alibi, retaliate, alimony, alp, altruism, ulterior, parallax, proletariat, coalesce, foetal, althea, withal, 64 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós ‘grown, tall, big’
altitude, alt, altar, alto, exalt, altimeter, eld, 14 more
through Proto-Germanic *aldaz ‘grown-up’
through Proto-West Germanic *ald
through Old English ald ‘old, aged, ancient, antique, primeval’
through Middle English old ‘Elderly’
Today it means
adj Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / old