ENGLISH
REFERENCE

auld

adj.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈɔɫd// auld Archaic

adj. old or ancient. You might hear this word in Scottish songs or stories to describe something from a long time ago.

adj. old, ancient, or belonging to the past. Primarily used in Scottish English and historical contexts.


SIMPLE

The auld stone walls of the castle are very thick.

CONTEXTUAL

The villagers gathered to hear the auld tales of the land passed down through generations.

COMPLEX

The auld traditions of the region remain deeply embedded in the local festivals, providing a vital link to the community's shared heritage.

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.

Idioms1 entry

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