Where does “ouderdom” come from?
ouderdom (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch ouder, from Old Dutch alder, from Proto-Germanic aldrą, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-.
ouderdom (Dutch): age, annosity
Ancestry of “ouderdom”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | ouder | age; old age; old person, senior |
| 2 | Old Dutch | alder | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | aldrą | life; lifetime, age |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | — |