Where does “elder” come from?
elder (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål elde, from Old Norse elda, from Old Norse eldr, from Proto-Germanic ailidaz, from Proto-Germanic ailijaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eydʰ- — to ignite; fire.
elder (Norwegian Bokmål): present of elde
Ancestry of “elder”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Bokmål | elde | to age |
| 2 | Old Norse | elda | to cause to be or appear old; to light, kindle a... |
| 3 | Old Norse | eldr | fire |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ailidaz | fire, pyre |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ailijaną | to kindle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eydʰ- | to ignite; fire |