eald

Middle English

Adjective

eald

1. alternative form of old

Old English

Alternative forms

• ald — Anglian
• eold, æld, eld

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“old, grown-up”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós (“grown”), past participle of *h₂el- (“to grow, nourish”) and root also of Latin altus (“high, tall”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æ͜ɑld/, [æ͜ɑɫd]
• Rhymes: -æ͜ɑld

Adjective

eald (comparative ieldra, superlative ieldest)

1. old
   • 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 sixty-three years old when she died

   • variously c. 893 – 12th century CE, entry for year 964, in Benjamin Thorpe, ed. and transl., The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, According to the Several Original Authorities, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, published 1861, page 222:

     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 (out of) the new one, and of Chertsey and Middleton. He replaced them with monks and appointed Abbot Athelgar to the new monastery, Ordbright to Chertsey, and Kinward to Middleton.

2. ancient
   • c. 989–992 CE, Ælfric of Eynsham, “The Octaves and Circumcision of Our Lord” (VI), in Benjamin Thorpe, F.S.A., ed. and transl., The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church, volume I, London: Richard and John E. Taylor, published 1844, page 98:

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

     The Ancient Romans, in the heathen days, would have begun the year's course on this day.

3. (in compounds) original

   Ealdseaxan ― the continental Saxons (literally “Old/Original Saxons”, contrasted with the Saxons who migrated to Great Britain)

4. (kinship) grand-

   eald fæder ― grandfather (literally, “old father”)

   eald modor ― grandmother

Declension

Declension of eald — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	eald	eald	eald
Accusative	ealdne	ealde	eald
Genitive	ealdes	ealdre	ealdes
Dative	ealdum	ealdre	ealdum
Instrumental	ealde	ealdre	ealde
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ealde	ealda, ealde	eald
Accusative	ealde	ealda, ealde	eald
Genitive	ealdra	ealdra	ealdra
Dative	ealdum	ealdum	ealdum
Instrumental	ealdum	ealdum	ealdum

Declension of eald — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ealda	ealde	ealde
Accusative	ealdan	ealdan	ealde
Genitive	ealdan	ealdan	ealdan
Dative	ealdan	ealdan	ealdan
Instrumental	ealdan	ealdan	ealdan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ealdan	ealdan	ealdan
Accusative	ealdan	ealdan	ealdan
Genitive	ealdra, ealdena	ealdra, ealdena	ealdra, ealdena
Dative	ealdum	ealdum	ealdum
Instrumental	ealdum	ealdum	ealdum

Derived terms

• ealda
• ealdnes
• efneald
• ieldu

Descendants

• 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: aad

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