Old English aldormonn (Mercian), ealdormann (West Saxon) "Anglo-Saxon ruler, prince, chief; chief officer of a shire," from aldor, ealder "patriarch" (comparative of ald "old;" see old) + monn, mann "man" (from PIE root *man- (1) "man").

Presumably originally of elders of the clan or tribe, but already in Old English used for king's viceroys, regardless of age. In later Old English a more specific title, "chief magistrate of a county," having both civic and military duties. The word yielded under Canute to eorl (see earl), and after the Norman Conquest to count (n.). Having lost its specific sense, alderman was then applied to any head man; meaning "headman of a guild" (early 12c.) passed to "magistrate of a city" (c. 1200) as the guilds became identified with municipal government. Related: Aldermancy; aldermanic.

Middle English fer, from Old English feorr "far, remote, distant," from Proto-Germanic *ferera- (cognates: Old Saxon fer, Old Frisian fer, Old Norse fjarre, Dutch ver, Old High German ferro, German fern), probably a development in western Proto-Germanic from the adverb (see far (adv.)). Far East "China, Japan, and surrounding regions" is from 1838.

late 13c., "the elder," from Latin senior "older," comparative of senex (genitive senis) "old" (from PIE root *sen- "old"). Its original use in English was as an addition to a personal name indicating "the father" when father and son have the same name (e.g. Walterus Baddyng, seniore in late 13c. Leet rolls of the City of Norwich). The meaning "higher in rank, longer in service" is recorded by 1510s.

The Latin word yielded titles of respect in many languages, such as French sire, Spanish señor, Portuguese senhor, Italian signor. Also compare Herr. Senior citizen "elderly person" (typically one past retirement age) is by 1938, American English.

"ages old, since ancient time," 1896, from age (n.) + old.

variant of old that more accurately preserves the Anglo-Saxon vowel. Surviving in northern English and Scottish; after late 14c. it was distinctly Scottish. A child wise or canny beyond its years was auld-farrand; Auld wives' tongues was a name for the aspen, because its leaves "seldom cease wagging."

"former ages, old times," c. 1400, poetic or archaic form of old; in some cases from Old English eald, yldu, yldo "old age; an age; age as a period of life."

"more old," Old English (Mercian) eldra, comparative of eald, ald (see old); only English survival of umlaut in comparison. Superseded by older since 16c. Elder statesman (1921) originally was a translation of Japanese genro (plural).

Old English (Mercian) eldrost "most advanced in age, that was born first," superlative of eald, ald "old" (see old). Superseded by oldest since 16c. Compare elder (adj.).

1701 as a typeface, from old + English. It was used to meaning "the Anglo-Saxon language before the Conquest, old-fashioned or archaic English" in a c. 1200 account of the native (as opposed to Latin) month names, but the modern linguistic use is from 19c. (see Middle English).

"out of date," 1911, from old + hat. As a noun phrase, however, it had different sense previously. The "Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" (1796) defines it as, "a woman's privities, because frequently felt."