olden

See also: Olden

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊl.dn̩/, /ˈəʊl.dən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊldn̩/, /ˈoʊldən/
• Rhymes: -əʊldən

Etymology 1

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.

Adjective

olden (not comparable)

1. From or relating to a previous era.

   olden days, olden times

   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 156:

     "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."

   • 1934, Cole Porter (lyrics and music), “Anything Goes”:

     In olden days, a glimpse of stockings
     Was looked on as something shocking;
     Now, heaven knows,
     Anything goes.

2. (archaic) Old; ancient.
   • 1857, Martha Griffith Browne, Autobiography of a Female Slave, page 347:

     We […] told over the story of past sufferings, and renewed olden vows of devotion.

Usage notes

Now mostly restricted to certain set phrases, such as "olden days" and "olden times".

Synonyms

• (relating to a previous era): bygone, historical; see also Thesaurus:past
• (old, ancient): auld, eldern; see also Thesaurus:old

Derived terms

• olden time

 

Etymology 2

From old +‎ -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.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     Of all Sedley's opponents in his debates with his creditors which now ensued, and harassed the feelings of the humiliated old gentleman so severely, that in six weeks he oldened more than he had done for fifteen years before—the most determined and obstinate seemed to be John Osborne, his old friend and neighbour […]

   • 1912, John Ayscough, Saints and Places, page 123:

     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.

Synonyms

• elden, mature; see also Thesaurus:to age

Antonyms

• youngen

Related terms

• eld

Anagrams

• Eldon, Loden, loden, onled

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

olden m (definite singular oldenen, indefinite plural oldener, definite plural oldenene)

1. (archaic) mast (tree fruit, nut)