What does auld mean?
"Auld" is the Scots equivalent of the standard English word "old," sharing the same Germanic root but preserving an older vowel sound that survives in Scottish and northern English speech. As an adjective, it simply means old — referring to people, places, things, or times long past — yet its flavour differs markedly from "old": it carries warmth, nostalgia, and a sense of heritage rather than mere age or obsolescence. In everyday use, "auld" belongs to Scots dialect, but readers far beyond Scotland know it through Robert Burns's beloved song "Auld Lang Syne," sung around the world at New Year to honour friendships and days gone by. Other fixed uses include "Auld Reekie," the affectionate nickname for Edinburgh, and "the Auld Alliance," the historic Franco-Scottish pact. Because "auld" is regional and largely confined to set phrases, writers use it deliberately to evoke Scottish identity or a bygone era. Its endurance shows how a dialect word, carried by song and sentiment, can become part of global cultural vocabulary.
adjectiveAn older Scottish spelling and variant of "old," chiefly used in Scotland, northern England, and in set phrases such as "auld lang syne." It carries a warm, traditional, or nostalgic connotation.
- (Scottish) old; belonging to an earlier time
"We sang 'Auld Lang Syne' as the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve."
"The auld kirk still stands at the edge of the village."
"They raised a glass to auld friends and days gone by."
Every New Year's Eve, millions worldwide sing a Scots word they may never otherwise use — 'auld' in 'Auld Lang Syne.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of auld
"Auld" descends from Old English "eald" (earlier "ald"), meaning old, via Middle English forms in which the vowel was lengthened before certain consonant clusters. It is thus a doublet of the standard modern word "old," which underwent a different vowel development in southern English while Scots retained the longer "au" sound. Cognates include "elder" and "eld," both built on the same Old English root, and "alderman," originally an elder or senior figure. The form has been characteristic of Scots since the Middle Ages.
How auld is actually used
"Auld" is dialectal rather than standard modern English. Outside Scotland it survives almost exclusively in fixed expressions — most famously "Auld Lang Syne" — where its use signals tradition, nostalgia, or deliberate Scots flavour.
Easily confused with auld
"Old" is the standard English form; "auld" is the Scots variant of the very same word, used mainly in Scotland or in traditional phrases.