ieldu
/ˈi͜yl.du/
In Old English, the word for age is ieldu.
The term refers to the amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing.
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ieldu is the dative singular form, while yld is the nominative singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈiyl.du/ and has two syllables. The stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Old English legal texts, the 'age' of a person often determined their 'wergild', which was the specific monetary value assigned to their life if they were killed.
- The word ieldu shares the same ancestral root as the modern English word 'elder', linking the concept of time directly to seniority.
- The root of ieldu is the same as the word 'old', which in Old English was eald.
Examples in context
- Iohannes biþ mīnne ieldu.John is my age.This sentence shows how to use ieldu to describe someone being a certain age.Tatoeba #8923427 by iiujik, translation #5049001 by AlanF_US
- Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church
Ne widcweðe iċ, Drihten, tō deorfenne gȳt, ġif iċ nȳdbehefe eom gȳt ðīnum folce, ne iċ ne belādiġe gȳt mē for ylde: bēo ðīn willa ā, weroda Drihten!I do not refuse, O Lord, to yet labor, if I am needed by your people, nor will I yet excuse myself on account of my age: let your will be forever, Lord of Hosts!This sentence uses yld (contained within the word ylde) to discuss the subject's age.
Example conversation
Wulfrun and Osric are discussing an old manuscript in a scriptorium.
- WulfrunHwæt is sēo ieldu þisse bēc?What is the age of this book?
- OsricIc ne wāt, Wulfrun.I do not know, Wulfrun.
- WulfrunHit is swīðe eald.It is very old.
- OsricSōð, hit is eald.True, it is old.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ieldu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ieldu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
