Where does “old-” come from?

old- (Danish) comes from Middle Low German ôlt, from Proto-Germanic aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

old- (Danish): ancient; an old form of a language

Definitions

  1. ancient; an old form of a language

Ancestry of “old-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanôltold
2Proto-Germanicaldazold, grown up
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “old-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós →Every word from Proto-Germanic aldaz →
old- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer