auld

Old.

Adjective

  1. Old.
    • To prepare for the burning bowl, each person writes on slips of paper those negative traits or situations they would like to be rid of in the year to come. Examples might be, […] “Proclivity for attracting Messrs....

Origin

From Scots auld or from Northern Middle English auld, aulde, awld, awlde, ald, alde, from Northumbrian Old English ald, variant of Old English eald (“old, mature, venerable; antique, ancient, primeval”), from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“grown up; old”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós (“grown, nourished, matured”). Compare cognate Latin altus (“nourished, raised, grown; tall”). Doublet of old.

Forms

aulder auldest aud aul oul oul' ould

Synonyms

aged eldern hoary

Related

alderman auld birkie aulden auldfarrand auld-fashioned auld lang syne auld-warld auld wives' tongues eld elder old