old

English

/ˈəʊld/, /ˈoʊld/

adj
Definitions
  • Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
  • Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.
  • Having existed or lived for the specified time.
  • (heading) Of an earlier time.
  • Tiresome after prolonged repetition.
  • Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.
  • A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive. (Mostly in idioms like good old (good old), big old (big old) and little old (little old), any old (any old) and some old (some old).)
  • (obsolete) Excessive, abundant.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English old inherited from Old English ald inherited from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (grown-up) inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, *h₂el- (tall, grown, big).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*h₂eltós, *h₂el-

Gloss

tall, grown, big

Concept
Semantic Field

Spatial relations

Ontological Category

Other

Kanji

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms