Where does “olden” come from?

Olden comes from Middle English -en, Old English -en, Old English eald, and Proto-Indo-European al-, meaning to grow or nourish.

olden (English): From or relating to a previous era; Old; ancient;...

Definitions

  1. From or relating to a previous era; Old; ancient;...

Ancestry of “olden”, step by step

olden traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Old

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOldOS grid ref SP7873
2Middle Englisholdold; long extant or existent
3Old EnglishaldAlternative form of eald
4Proto-Germanic*ald
5Proto-Germanicaldazold, grown up
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via Middle English olden

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisholden
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-