ǫld

See also: old, öld, øld, and 'old

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aldiz (“age, lifetime”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌳𐍃 (alds).

Pronunciation
  • (9th century West Norse) IPA(key): /ˈɔld/
  • (12th century Icelandic) IPA(key): /ˈɔld/

Noun

ǫld f (genitive aldar, plural aldir)

  1. time, age
    • Vǫluspá, verse 3, lines 1-2, in 1867, S. Bugge, Norrœn fornkvæði: Sæmundar Edda hins fróða. Christiania, page 1:
      Ár var alda / þar er Ýmir bygði, […]
      In early ages, / when Ymir lived […]
  2. cycle, period
    • Stjorn 95, in 1834, F. Magnússon, C.C. Rafn, Fornmanna sögur. Volume VIII. Copenhagen, page 15:
      […] ok at greina daga, uikur ok manadi, aar ok aldir.
      […] and to distinguish days from weeks and months, years and centuries.
  3. (poetic) men, people
    • Hávamál, verse 12, lines 1-3, in 1867, S. Bugge, Norrœn fornkvæði: Sæmundar Edda hins fróða. Christiania, page 44:
      Era sva gott, / sem gott qveþa, / öl alda sona; […]
      Is not so good, / as they say it is, / ale for the sons of men; […]

Declension
  Declension of ǫld (strong i-stem)
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative ǫld ǫldin aldir aldirnar
accusative ǫld ǫldina aldir aldirnar
dative ǫldu, ǫld ǫldunni, ǫldinni ǫldum ǫldunum
genitive aldar aldarinnar alda aldanna

Descendants
  • Danish: old c (archaic)
  • Faroese: øld f

References
  • ǫld in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, R. Cleasby and G. Vigfússon, Clarendon Press, 1874, at Internet Archive.
  • ǫld in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.
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