elder English · revision 10259

+ Elder, older, is the old comparative of old, while elder, the tree, is from Old English ellærn.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɛldə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɛldɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|older}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725|origins=gem-pro *alþizô}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|eldra|t=older]] (Mercian, West Saxon ieldra), the comparative of eald, ald (see [[old]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Proto-Germanic *alþizan-, source also of Old High German altiro (German [[m|de|älter]]), Old Norse ellri and Gothic alþiza.^(Hoad 1986) It is the only English survival of the umlaut in comparison.^(Etymonline) The noun is from Old English eldra, an older person, parent, ancestor, chief.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Older: about 725, in ''Beowulf'', in Barnhart;^(Barnhart 1988) before 900 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Elder was once the ordinary comparative of old,^(Barnhart 1988) but has been replaced by [[older]] since the 16th century and is now kept for special uses.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Old English eldran, elders, also meant parents and ancestors, as German [[m|de|Eltern]] still does,^(Trench 1859)^(Etymonline) a sense English has lost.^(Trench 1859) In biblical translation it rendered Greek presbyter and Latin seniores (Hebrew zəqēnīm, old men),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and a person with authority in a community, originally through age, is from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) ''Elder statesman'' (1921) first translated [[ja|元老|tr=genrō]].^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Elderly'' is from 1611, and ''eldest'' is the superlative, from before 900.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – older.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 971 – an older person, parent (noun).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 14th century – a person of authority.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1611 – elderly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1921 – elder statesman.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of greater age, especially of two related people: ''my elder brother''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of higher rank; senior.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An older person.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An older, influential member of a family, tribe or community.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An officer of certain churches, often with teaching or pastoral duties.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[eldest]]

+ * [[elderly]]

+ * [[elder statesman]]

+ * [[eldership]]

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+ {{homograph|2|tree}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=inherited|attested=before 700}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English eller, eldre, [[inh|ang|ellærn|t=elder tree]], ellen,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) of unknown origin, perhaps related to [[alder]], which may also be the source of the unetymological -d-.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) It is common Germanic, with Middle Low German ellern, elre and Old High German elira.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The shrub or small tree Sambucus nigra: before 700 in the OED;^(OED 1989) the spelling elder is about 1400.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The name was extended to other species of Sambucus in 1578, in North America especially to the American elder.^(OED 1989) It was misused for alder from about 1535.^(OED 1989) ''Elderberry'' is a derivative.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 700 – the elder tree.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – the form elder.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1578 – other species.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Sambucus, with clusters of small white flowers and dark or red berries.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[elderberry]]

+ * [[elderflower]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[old]]

+ * [[older]]

+ * [[alder]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Elder is also a dialect word for the udder of a cow or mare (1674), from Flemish.^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024) In card games such as piquet, the elder hand is the non-dealer.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}