elder
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See also: Elder
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈeldə/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛldə/
Audio (UK) (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛldɚ/
- Rhymes: -ɛldə(ɹ)
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English eldre, from Old English eldra, yldra, ieldra, from Proto-Germanic *alþizô. The vowel change from a to e triggered by the following i is called umlaut or I-mutation.
Adjective[edit]
elder
- comparative degree of old: older, greater than another in age or seniority.
- The elder of the two was also an elder statesman
- 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad[2]:
- She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination. The elder woman returned with dressings and a sponge, which she placed on a chair.
Usage notes[edit]
- The normal comparative of old is older. The irregular form elder is sometimes used with family members, but is otherwise rare (except in fixed expressions such as elder statesman). Elder is generally limited to attributive position (my elder brother) and does not occur in predicative position (*my brother is elder). This also implies that elder cannot be followed by than.[1]
Synonyms[edit]
- geriatric, long in the tooth, on in years; see also Thesaurus:elderly
Translations[edit]
greater than another in age or seniority
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Noun[edit]
elder (plural elders)
- An older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community.
- We were presented to the village elder.
- One who is older than another.
- Respect your elders.
- One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.
- 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523:
- Carry your Head […] as your Elders have done.
- An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.
- A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments.
- a travelling elder
- (US, Mormonism) One ordained to the lowest office in the Melchizedek priesthood.
- After being a member of the Church for a while, Bill was ordained to the office of elder.
- Jack had been an elder for only a few days when he received a new calling.
- (US, Mormonism) Male missionary.
- The elders are coming over for dinner tonight.
- (Mormonism, often capitalized) Title for a male missionary; title for a general authority.
- One of the long-time leaders in the Church is Elder Packer.
- (Germanic paganism) A pagan or Heathen priest or priestess.
Synonyms[edit]
- (older person): eld, mzee, senior; see also Thesaurus:old person
- (one who lived at an earlier period): antecessor, forerunner; see also Thesaurus:predecessor
Translations[edit]
elderly person
one who is older than another
leader of a community
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officer of the church
one who lived at an earlier period
title in Mormonism
Verb[edit]
elder (third-person singular simple present elders, present participle eldering, simple past and past participle eldered)
- (Quakerism) To admonish or reprove for improper conduct by the elders of the meeting.
- I was eldered for directly responding to someone else's message in meeting for worship.
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle English eldre, eller, from Old English ellærn, from Proto-Germanic *elernaz, *eldernaz (confer Low German Elhorn, Elloorn).
Noun[edit]
elder (plural elders)
- A small tree, Sambucus nigra, having white flowers in a cluster, and edible purple berries
- Any of the other species of the genus Sambucus: small trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials with red, purple, or white/yellow berries (some of which are poisonous).
Synonyms[edit]
- (Sambucus nigra): black elder
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Sambucus nigra
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Sambucus
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked: "small tree"
See also[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *aliþro (“udder”), from *alaną (“to nourish”). Cognate with dialectal Dutch elder (“udder”).[2]
Noun[edit]
elder
References[edit]
- ^ Treble, H. A. An A.B.C. of English Usage. American ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1937, page 133 [1]
- ^ “elder”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
Anagrams[edit]
Basque[edit]
Noun[edit]
elder inan
Norwegian Bokmål[edit]
Verb[edit]
elder
Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]
Noun[edit]
elder f
- indefinite plural of elde
- indefinite plural of elde
Verb[edit]
elder
Old Swedish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old Norse eldr, from Proto-Germanic *ailidaz.
Noun[edit]
elder m
- fire
- a skin disease - possibly erysipelas
Declension[edit]
Declension of elder (strong a-stem)
Descendants[edit]
- Swedish: eld
Categories:
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛldə(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/ɛldə(ɹ)/2 syllables
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el- (grow)
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English non-lemma forms
- English comparative adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- American English
- en:Mormonism
- en:Germanic paganism
- English verbs
- en:Quakerism
- en:Leaders
- en:Moschatel family plants
- en:People
- Basque lemmas
- Basque nouns
- Basque inanimate nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Bokmål verb forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk noun forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk verb forms
- Old Swedish terms inherited from Old Norse
- Old Swedish terms derived from Old Norse
- Old Swedish terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Old Swedish terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Old Swedish lemmas
- Old Swedish nouns
- Old Swedish masculine nouns
- Old Swedish a-stem nouns