gammal

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse gamall; comparative and superlative forms from Old Norse ellri and Old Norse ellztr.

Adjective

gammal (neuter singular gammalt, definite singular and plural gamle, comparative eldre, indefinite superlative eldst, definite superlative eldste)

1. (rare) alternative form of gammel
   • 2021, Endre Enghaug, “Kristiania”:

     Jeg drømmer om å reise litt i tid
     og finne noe gammalt som gikk tapt på veien hit.

     I dream about to take a short time travel
     and find someting old, which was lost on the path hither.

References

• “gammal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse gamall; comparative and superlative forms from Old Norse ellri and Old Norse ellztr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɡɑmːɑl/

Adjective

gammal (masculine and feminine gammal, neuter gammalt, definite singular and plural gamle, comparative eldre, indefinite superlative eldst, definite superlative eldste)

1. alternative form of gamal (“old”)

References

• “gammal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish gamal, from Old Norse gamall, from Proto-Germanic *gamalaz. Compare Danish gammel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɡamːal/, [˧˩ɡämː˥˩äl̪]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

gammal (comparative äldre, superlative äldst)

1. old (having existed for a long time)

   Antonym: ung

   Mormor är gammal.

   Grandma is old.

   en gammal tradition

   an old tradition

2. old (of a specified age)

   Hon är 43 år gammal.

   She is 43 years old.

   Hur gammal är du?

   How old are you?

3. old (having been something for a long time)

   en gammal vän

   an old friend

4. old (previous, former)

   Synonym: (previous) tidigare

   hennes gamla pojkvän

   her old boyfriend

Declension

Inflection of gammal

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	gammal	äldre	äldst
neuter singular	gammalt	äldre	äldst
plural	gamla	äldre	äldst
masculine plural2	gamla	äldre	äldst
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	gamle	äldre	äldste
all	gamla	äldre	äldsta

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

• envis som en gammal get
• gammal i gamet
• gammaldags
• lastgammal
• nygammal

Related terms

• gamling (“old person”)

See also

• gubbe
• ålder
• ålderdom
• år

References

• “gammal”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “gammal”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “gammal”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• gammal in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)