Where does “old” come from?

Old derives from Middle English old, from Old English eald, which traces to Proto-Indo-European h₂el- and al-, roots of uncertain meaning related to growth or nourishment.

old (English): Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having...

Definitions

Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having...

Ancestry of “old”, step by step

old traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English ald

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	ald	—
2	Old English	eald	old; ancient; original
3	Old English	feld	field
4	Proto-West Germanic	felþu	field
5	Proto-Germanic	felþuz	field, plain
6	Proto-Indo-European	pelh₂-	to approach
7	Proto-Indo-European	pel-	to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

via Middle English old

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	old	old; long extant or existent
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-	to grow, nourish

Words derived from “old”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →