Where does “old” come from?
old (German Low German) comes from Middle Low German ôlt, from Proto-Germanic aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-.
old (German Low German): old
Ancestry of “old”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | ôlt | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | — |