"olden" meaning in English

See olden in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈəʊl.dn̩/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈəʊl.dən/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈoʊldn̩/ [General-American], /ˈoʊldən/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav [Southern-England]
Rhymes: -əʊldən Etymology: From Middle English olden, probably originally an inflected plural form of old (compare Old English ealdum, dative plural of eald (“old”)), but later reanalysed as equivalent to old + -en. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|olden}} Middle English olden, {{m|enm|old}} old, {{noncog|ang|ealdum}} Old English ealdum, {{m|ang|eald|t=old}} eald (“old”), {{suffix|en|old|en|id2=made of}} old + -en Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} olden (not comparable)
  1. From or relating to a previous era. Tags: not-comparable Synonyms (relating to a previous era): bygone
    Sense id: en-olden-en-adj-YFXXChCA Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 41 17 42 Disambiguation of 'relating to a previous era': 92 8
  2. (archaic) Old; ancient. Tags: archaic, not-comparable Synonyms (old, ancient): auld
    Sense id: en-olden-en-adj-mXvIZfi1 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English terms containing fossilized case endings, English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative), English terms suffixed with -en (made of) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 41 17 42 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 26 47 27 Disambiguation of English terms containing fossilized case endings: 23 48 29 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative): 19 54 27 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -en (made of): 26 74 Disambiguation of 'old, ancient': 2 98
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: historical, past, eldern, old Derived forms: olden time
Etymology number: 1

Verb

IPA: /ˈəʊl.dn̩/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈəʊl.dən/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈoʊldn̩/ [General-American], /ˈoʊldən/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav [Southern-England] Forms: oldens [present, singular, third-person], oldening [participle, present], oldened [participle, past], oldened [past]
Rhymes: -əʊldən Etymology: From old + -en. Etymology templates: {{suf|en|old|en|id2=inchoative}} old + -en Head templates: {{en-verb}} olden (third-person singular simple present oldens, present participle oldening, simple past and past participle oldened)
  1. (intransitive, old-fashioned or rare) To grow old; age; assume an older appearance or character; become affected by age. Tags: dated, intransitive, rare Synonyms: elden, mature, to age Related terms: eld
    Sense id: en-olden-en-verb-qseqE~pl Categories (other): English adjectives ending in -en, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English adjectives ending in -en: 27 26 47 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 41 17 42
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for olden meaning in English (6.7kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "olden time"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "olden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English olden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "old"
      },
      "expansion": "old",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ealdum"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ealdum",
      "name": "noncog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "eald",
        "t": "old"
      },
      "expansion": "eald (“old”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "old",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "made of"
      },
      "expansion": "old + -en",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English olden, probably originally an inflected plural form of old (compare Old English ealdum, dative plural of eald (“old”)), but later reanalysed as equivalent to old + -en.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "olden (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "41 17 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "olden days, olden times"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 156",
          "text": "You are right to some extent in what you say. In the olden days people had a stronger belief in all kinds of witchery; now they pretend not to believe in it, that they may be looked upon as sensible and educated people, as you say.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1934, Cole Porter (lyrics and music), “Anything Goes”",
          "text": "In olden days, a glimpse of stockings\nWas looked on as something shocking;\nNow, heaven knows,\nAnything goes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "From or relating to a previous era."
      ],
      "id": "en-olden-en-adj-YFXXChCA",
      "links": [
        [
          "previous",
          "previous"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "sense": "relating to a previous era",
          "word": "bygone"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "41 17 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 47 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 48 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms containing fossilized case endings",
          "parents": [
            "Terms containing fossilized case endings",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 54 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -en (made of)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1857, Martha Griffith Browne, Autobiography of a Female Slave, page 347",
          "text": "We […] told over the story of past sufferings, and renewed olden vows of devotion.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Old; ancient."
      ],
      "id": "en-olden-en-adj-mXvIZfi1",
      "links": [
        [
          "Old",
          "old"
        ],
        [
          "ancient",
          "ancient"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Old; ancient."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "old, ancient",
          "word": "auld"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊldən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "historical"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "past"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "eldern"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "old"
    }
  ],
  "word": "olden"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "youngen"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "old",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "inchoative"
      },
      "expansion": "old + -en",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From old + -en.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "oldens",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldening",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldened",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldened",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "olden (third-person singular simple present oldens, present participle oldening, simple past and past participle oldened)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 26 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English adjectives ending in -en",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 17 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1912, John Ayscough, Saints and Places, page 123",
          "text": "They were not worldly days; and so, as we olden with our passage through the world, they stay young, and we love them as pure youthful things are loved.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To grow old; age; assume an older appearance or character; become affected by age."
      ],
      "id": "en-olden-en-verb-qseqE~pl",
      "links": [
        [
          "age",
          "age"
        ],
        [
          "appearance",
          "appearance"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ],
        [
          "affect",
          "affect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, old-fashioned or rare) To grow old; age; assume an older appearance or character; become affected by age."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "eld"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "elden"
        },
        {
          "word": "mature"
        },
        {
          "word": "to age"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "intransitive",
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊldən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "olden"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English adjectives ending in -en",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms containing fossilized case endings",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative)",
    "English terms suffixed with -en (made of)",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊldən",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊldən/2 syllables"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "olden time"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "olden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English olden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "old"
      },
      "expansion": "old",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ealdum"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ealdum",
      "name": "noncog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "eald",
        "t": "old"
      },
      "expansion": "eald (“old”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "old",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "made of"
      },
      "expansion": "old + -en",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English olden, probably originally an inflected plural form of old (compare Old English ealdum, dative plural of eald (“old”)), but later reanalysed as equivalent to old + -en.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "olden (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "olden days, olden times"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 156",
          "text": "You are right to some extent in what you say. In the olden days people had a stronger belief in all kinds of witchery; now they pretend not to believe in it, that they may be looked upon as sensible and educated people, as you say.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1934, Cole Porter (lyrics and music), “Anything Goes”",
          "text": "In olden days, a glimpse of stockings\nWas looked on as something shocking;\nNow, heaven knows,\nAnything goes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "From or relating to a previous era."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "previous",
          "previous"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1857, Martha Griffith Browne, Autobiography of a Female Slave, page 347",
          "text": "We […] told over the story of past sufferings, and renewed olden vows of devotion.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Old; ancient."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Old",
          "old"
        ],
        [
          "ancient",
          "ancient"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Old; ancient."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊldən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "relating to a previous era",
      "word": "bygone"
    },
    {
      "word": "historical"
    },
    {
      "word": "past"
    },
    {
      "sense": "old, ancient",
      "word": "auld"
    },
    {
      "word": "eldern"
    },
    {
      "word": "old"
    }
  ],
  "word": "olden"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "youngen"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives ending in -en",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms containing fossilized case endings",
    "English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative)",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊldən",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊldən/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "old",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "inchoative"
      },
      "expansion": "old + -en",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From old + -en.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "oldens",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldening",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldened",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "oldened",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "olden (third-person singular simple present oldens, present participle oldening, simple past and past participle oldened)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "eld"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1912, John Ayscough, Saints and Places, page 123",
          "text": "They were not worldly days; and so, as we olden with our passage through the world, they stay young, and we love them as pure youthful things are loved.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To grow old; age; assume an older appearance or character; become affected by age."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "age",
          "age"
        ],
        [
          "appearance",
          "appearance"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ],
        [
          "affect",
          "affect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, old-fashioned or rare) To grow old; age; assume an older appearance or character; become affected by age."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "intransitive",
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈəʊl.dən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldn̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈoʊldən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊldən"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-olden.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/31/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-olden.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "elden"
    },
    {
      "word": "mature"
    },
    {
      "word": "to age"
    }
  ],
  "word": "olden"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.