Where does “elderdom” come from?
elderdom (Middle English) comes from Old English ealdordōm, from Old English -dōm, from Proto-West Germanic -dōm, from Proto-Germanic -dōmaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰóh₁mos, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- — to do, put, place.
Ancestry of “elderdom”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ealdordōm | greatness, power, authority, lordship, eldership,... |
| 2 | Old English | -dōm | -dom: state, condition, power, dominion,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | -dōm | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -dōmaz | Forms nouns denoting the condition or state of... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰóh₁mos | that which is put, placed |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |