old
UK: əʊld | US: oʊld
adj. having lived or existed for a long time
adj. belonging to the past; not new or modern
adj. (of a language) as used in former or earliest times
n. people who are old collectively
The word "old" traces back to Proto-Germanic *aldaz, meaning "grown up, adult." It is related to Dutch "oud," German "alt," and Old Norse "aldr." The Proto-Indo-European root *al- ("to grow, nourish") also gave rise to Latin "alere" (to nourish) and Greek "aldaino" (to grow). Over time, "old" shifted from emphasizing maturity to denoting age or antiquity. Its simplicity and Germanic roots make it a core, unsplittable word in English.
The old tree in the park has stood for centuries.
She prefers old books because they smell like history.
Old English is very different from modern English.
The young should respect the old.
His old habits are hard to break.