Olden
/ˈoʊldən/noun
Of or relating to former times; ancient or long ago.
Did you know?Olden is a later formation from Old English *eald* (“old”), and its survival in phrases like “olden days” shows how English can turn plain age into a nostalgic, almost incantatory time-mark.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂el-
“to grow, nourish; also associated with being old or mature in later descendants”
Old English
OE
eald
“old, aged”
Middle English
ME
olden
“old; of old times”
15th Century
English
olden
“belonging to former times; ancient”
Modern English
English
olden
“of former times, especially in the fixed phrase “olden days””