old

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old OE. (as a familiar epithet XIV). OE. (Angl.) ald (WS. eald) = OS. ald (Du. oud), (O)HG. alt :- WGmc. *alða (cf. ON. compar. ellri ELDER2, superl. ellztr ELDEST, Goth. alþeis old); pp. formation on the base of OE. alan, ON. ala nourish, Goth. alan grow up, rel. to L. alere nourish, with the parallel formation altus high, deep.
Hence olden (-EN2) ancient. XV.

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