gamall

From Old Norse gamall, from Proto-Germanic *gamalaz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaːmatl/

  Rhymes: -aːmatl

gamall (comparative eldri, superlative elstur)

1. old
   • Colossians 3:9

     Ljúgið ekki hver að öðrum, því þér hafið afklæðst hinum gamla manni með gjörðum hans.

     Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.

   Hvað er mamma þín gömul? — Hún er fjörutíu og níu ára gömul.

   How old is your mom? — She's forty-nine years old.

   Hvað ertu gamall?

   How old are you?

2. old, ancient

• eldgamall
• fjörgamall
• gamalmenni
• Gamla testamentið
• gamalkunnungur
• gamalgróinn
• gamaldags
• veturgamall

• forn
• aldraður

The positive form is from Proto-Germanic *gamalaz. The comparative and superlative forms are from Proto-Germanic *alþizô and *alþistaz respectively, comparison forms of the positive *aldaz (“old”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, ultimately from the root *h₂el- (“to grow, nourish”). Confer with English old – elder – eldest.

gamall (comparative ellri, superlative ellztr)

1. old
   • opt er gott þat er gamlir kveða

     old men's sayings are often good

2. old, aged; of a certain age
   • hve gamall maðr ertu

     how old art thou?

This word has a suppletive inflection, using another root in the comparative and superlative forms, than in the positive form.

• gamall in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ellri in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ellztr in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press