eald

eald

1. alternative form of old

• ald, eold, æld, eld

From Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, a suffixed form of *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”).

• IPA^(key): /æ͜ɑld/, [æ͜ɑɫd]

eald (comparative ieldra, superlative ieldest)

1. old

   Hū eald eart þū?

   How old are you?

   • The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn

     Ic þē secge, hēo wæs iii and sixtiġ ġēara eald, ðā hēo belȳfen wæs...

     I tell thee, she was three and sixty years old when she died...

   • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

     An. DCCCCLXIIII Hēr drǣfde Ēadgār cyng þā preostas on Ċeastre of ealdan mynstre, ⁊ nīwan mynstre, ⁊ of Ċeortesiġe, ⁊ of Middeltūne, ⁊ sette hȳ mid munecan, ⁊ hē sette Æðelgār abbod tō nīwan mynstre tō abbode, Ordbriht to Ċeortesiġe, ⁊ Cyneweard to Middeltūne.

     Year 964 In this year King Edgar drove the priests in Chester out of the old monastery and the new monastery, and out of Chertsey and Middleton and replaced them with monks. He appointed Abbot Athelgar as abbot of the new monastery, Ordbright as abbot of Chertsey, and Cyneweard as abbot of Middleton.

2. ancient

   on ealdum dagum

   in ancient times, in olden days

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Octaves and Circumcision of Our Lord"

     Þā ealdan Rōmāne, on hǣðenum dagum, ongunnon þæs ġēares ymbryne on þissum dæġe.

     The Ancient Romans, in pagan times, began the course of the year on this day.

3. (in compounds) original

   Ealdseaxan ― the continental Saxons

4. (familiar) grand-

• ealda
• ealdnes
• efneald
• ieldu

• Middle English: old, eeld, eelde, eld, elde, holde, oold, olde, wolde, ald, awlde, eild (Northern), eald, yalde, yealde (Kent), yolde, yhold, yolle (Southwestern)
  • English: old (dialectal ole, ould, wold)

    Geordie English: awd, auld

  • Scots: auld
  • Yola: yole, yold, yola, yolaw