Etymograph

English

eldern

Eldern comes from Middle English eldern.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eldern1
  2. Englishtodayeldern1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English eldern

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eldernWiktionary, English eldern
  2. EnglishtodayeldernWiktionary, English eldern

Formed from elder + -en

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’

Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós

Proto-Germanic *aldaz ‘old, grown up’

Old English eldra

Middle English eldre

English elder

Every English word from Middle English eldern

Today it means

adj Elder; elderly; aged; old.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “eldern”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English eldern / eldern

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