What does yauld mean?
Yauld is an archaic Scots noun for an infant, especially a newborn child. It belongs chiefly to Scottish dialect and older literary English, where it can carry a warm, traditional tone rather than the neutral modern English word baby. In context, the word usually presents the child as new to the world: a midwife receives the yauld, relatives gather around the yauld, or a mother holds her yauld. It is not ordinarily used in standard contemporary English, and its appearance is often recognizable as Scottish or deliberately archaic. The term is especially memorable for its rounded vowel and sharp final consonants, and for its proximity to auld, the Scots word for old: yauld evokes what is newest, while auld evokes age. It is therefore a vivid example of how regional vocabulary can preserve an older cultural register and offer a more expressive alternative to an everyday word.
nounAn infant, especially a newborn child.
- A newborn child or infant.
"The midwife wrapped the yauld in a woollen shawl."
"The midwife wrapped the yauld in a woollen shawl."
"In the old story, the yauld is carried to the christening by its proud aunt."
The regular plural is yaulds, although the word itself is rare outside older Scots usage.
"Each of the yaulds received a small white cap."
Yauld is Scots for a newborn—and almost sounds like auld, Scots for old.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yauld
Yauld is a Scots word ultimately related to the Germanic root represented in English by young and youth. The form developed within Scots usage, with Scots pronunciation giving the word its distinctive long rounded vowel and final consonants. Today it survives mainly in older dialect and literary records rather than in ordinary modern English.
Related word forms
How yauld is actually used
Archaic and dialectal. Yauld occurs chiefly in older Scottish writing, dialect collections, and literary contexts; it is not ordinary vocabulary in present-day standard English and may sound affectionate, regional, or deliberately old-fashioned.
Easily confused with yauld
Auld is a Scots adjective meaning old, whereas yauld is a noun for a newborn or very young child.