Eldest
/ˈɛl.dɪst/noun
Oldest in age, rank, or position.
Did you know?“Eldest” is the superlative form of Old English eald, so its power is grammatical rather than occult: it literally means the one who has lived the longest.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*al-
“to grow, nourish; by extension, to grow up”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aldaz
“grown up, old”
Old English
English
eald
“old”
Old English
English
eldra
“older, senior”
Middle English
English
eldest
“oldest, first-born or most senior”
Modern English
English
eldest
“oldest in age or rank”