alt German · revision 35585

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *h₂el-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /alt/, [ʔalt], [ɑlt]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''alt''' (strong nominative masculine singular alter, comparative älter, superlative am ältesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|alt]], [[inh|goh|alt]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*ald]], [[inh|gem-pro|*aldaz|t=grown up, old]].^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|1, 171) The same word is [[osx|ald]], [[ang|eald]] and [[ofs|ald]], and also [[nl|oud]] and [[en|old]].^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Kroonen 2013) North Germanic has only the comparative [[non|ellri]] and the superlative, using [[m|non|gamall]] for “old”, while Gothic has a ja-stem [[got|𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃|tr=alþeis]].^(Kluge 2011|35)^(EWA|1, 171)

+

+ It is probably an old participle with a t-suffix of the verb seen in [[got|𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽|tr=alan|t=to grow up]], [[non|ala]] and [[ang|alan|t=to nourish, bring up]], from [[ine-pro|*h₂el-|t=to grow, nourish]], so that it first meant “grown, grown up”.^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge marks the derivation as probable, while Pfeifer, Duden and Kroonen give it without reservation.^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|90)^(Kroonen 2013) [[la|altus|t=high]], properly “grown tall”, the participle of [[m|la|alō|t=to nourish]], is a parallel formation, and Kroonen adds [[sga|alt|t=height, cliff]].^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The Gothic and Norse forms with a th-sound point to stress on the root in the comparative, which also explains the umlaut and consonant of [[Eltern]], properly “the older ones”.^(EWA|1, 171)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''alt'' is recorded from glosses of about 765 and in the ''Hildebrandslied'', Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “old”, “worn out”, “former, past” and “handed down from old times”; the plural ''alte'' could mean “parents”, and ''diu alta ēwa'' was the Old Testament.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|33)^(AWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul takes the oldest sense to be “of a certain age”, as in ''zwei Jahre alt'' (formerly with the genitive, ''eines Frühlings alt'' in Klopstock), and then “of great age”, opposed to [[jung]].^(Paul 2002) Pfeifer finds all three main senses, “aged”, “former” and “long existing”, already fully developed in Old High German.^(Pfeifer 1993) The Grimms note that Gothic distinguished “old” opposed to “young” (''alþeis'') from “old” opposed to “new”, which used another word, a difference that German blurred early.^(DWB|1, 262)

+

+ Since the 18th century ''alt'' has also expressed familiarity in ''alter Freund'', ''altes Haus'', and in colloquial northern German it stresses something annoying, as in ''alter Angeber''.^(Paul 2002) As a noun ''der Alte'' became a name for a boss and, familiarly, for one's father or husband, ''die Alten'' for parents, and in the 18th century ''die Alten'' were the Greeks and Romans.^(Paul 2002) [[Alt]], the singing voice, is a separate borrowing of Italian ''alto'' from the related Latin word.^(Kluge 2011|35)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''alt'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 800 – ''altlīh'', the source of [[ältlich]], is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 8th century – ''firaltēn'', the source of [[veralten]], is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – ''Altmeister'' “experienced old master” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 18th century – [[altklug]] “precocious” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Old, [[m|en|aged]]: no longer young, of advanced age: ''ein alter Hund'', ''alt werden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a given age: ''Wie alt bist du?'', ''ein drei Monate altes Fohlen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Not new, long used, [[m|en|worn]]: ''alte Schuhe'', ''alte Bücher''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Not fresh: ''altes Brot''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Long existing, [[m|en|established]]: ''eine alte Tradition'', ''alte Freunde''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # From an earlier time, [[m|en|ancient]]: ''die alten Griechen'', ''alte Meister''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Former, previous: ''mein alter Lehrer'', ''die alte Adresse''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Alter]]

+ * [[altern]]

+ * [[ältlich]]

+ * [[veralten]]

+ * [[altklug]]

+ * [[Eltern]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Ältester]]

+ * [[Welt]]

+ * [[Alt]]

+ * [[Alimente]]

+ * [[en|old]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Alt und grau werden'' “to wait a very long time” goes back to 1 Samuel 12:2, and ''nicht alt werden'' (colloquial) means “not to stay long”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) ''Alt und Jung'' means “everybody”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}