Where does “Old” come from?
Old (English) comes from Middle English old, from Old English ald, from Proto-Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-.
Ancestry of “Old”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | old | — |
| 2 | Old English | ald | Alternative form of eald |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *ald | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | — |