Old
/oʊld/noun
Having existed or been in use for a long time; not new.
Did you know?Old comes from Proto-Germanic *alþaz*, a word tied to the idea of being fully grown or mature—so in its deepest roots, “old” was closer to “adult” than “ancient.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*al-
“To grow, nourish, or raise”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*alþaz
“Grown up, adult, mature”
Old English
OE
eald
“Old, aged, long-established”
Old Norse
ON
allr
“All, entire”
Middle English
English
old
“Old, aged, no longer young”
Modern English
English
old
“Having existed or been in use for a long time”