Obs. Forms: 1 WSax. eald-ian, 2 eald-ien, 3 æld-en, 3–5 eld-en, eld-e (4 Kent yeald-y), 4–5 eeld-en, eelde, 6 eld, Sc. eild. See also OLD(E v. [In southern dialects repr. OE. (WS.) ealdian (:—type *alđôjan, not represented in any other language), f. eald, OLD; the equivalent Mercian from *aldian survived in ME. as OLD(E v. The midland and northern instances of eld(en, eeld(en, eild, probably belong formally to ELD v.2 (type *alđjan).

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  1.  intr. To grow old.

2

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., John xxi. 18. Þonne þu ealdast [c. 1160 Hatton ealdest].

3

c. 1200.  Ormin, 18830. All iss itt whilwendlike þing þatt eldeþþ annd forrwurrþeþþ.

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c. 1205.  Lay., 2937. Þa ældede [c. 1275 holdede] þe king.

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a. 1300.  E. E. Psalter ci. 27 (M.). As kleþinge elde sal alle þai.

6

1340.  Ayenb., 97. Hi ne may naȝt yealdy, ase dede þe yealde laȝe.

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1382.  Wyclif, Josh. xii. 1. Thou hast eeldid, and art of loong age.

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c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 137. Eelden, agyn.

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1496.  Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. viii. 39. They be paynted lyke yong men … in token that they … elden not.

10

1536.  Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. 200. This Valeriane … eildit in miserabill servitude.

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  2.  trans. To make old.

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c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 392. Tyme … eldith our auncessours And eldith kynges and emperours.

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