gamall

Icelandic

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaːmatl/

  Rhymes: -aːmatl

Adjective

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

Declension

positive forms of gamall

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	gamall	gömul	gamalt
	accusative	gamlan	gamla
	dative	gömlum	gamalli	gömlu
	genitive	gamals	gamallar	gamals
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	gamlir	gamlar	gömul
	accusative	gamla
	dative	gömlum
	genitive	gamalla
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	gamli	gamla	gamla
	acc/dat/gen	gamla	gömlu
	plural (all-case)	gömlu

comparative forms of gamall

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	eldri	eldri	eldra
	plural (all-case)	eldri

superlative forms of gamall

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	elstur	elst	elst
	accusative	elstan	elsta
	dative	elstum	elstri	elstu
	genitive	elsts	elstrar	elsts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	elstir	elstar	elst
	accusative	elsta
	dative	elstum
	genitive	elstra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	elsti	elsta	elsta
	acc/dat/gen	elsta	elstu
	plural (all-case)	elstu

Derived terms

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

See also

• forn
• aldraður

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

gamall (masculine and feminine gamall, neuter gamalt, definite singular and plural gamle)

1. (pre-1917) alternative form of gamal

Old Norse

Etymology

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”). Compare with English old – elder – eldest.

Adjective

gamall (comparative ellri, superlative ellztr)

1. old
   • Hávamál, verse 135

     […] at hárum þul / hlæ þú aldregi,
     oft er gótt, / þat er gamlir kveða; […]

     […] at a grey-haired sage / never laugh,
     often is good, / that which the old tell; […]

2. old, aged; of a certain age

   hve gamall maðr ertu ― how old art thou?

Inflection

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

Strong declension of gamall

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	gamall	gǫmul	gamalt
accusative	gamlan	gamla	gamalt
dative	gǫmlum	gamalli	gǫmlu
genitive	gamals	gamallar	gamals
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	gamlir	gamlar	gǫmul
accusative	gamla	gamlar	gǫmul
dative	gǫmlum	gǫmlum	gǫmlum
genitive	gamalla	gamalla	gamalla

Weak declension of gamall

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	gamli	gamla	gamla
accusative	gamla	gǫmlu	gamla
dative	gamla	gǫmlu	gamla
genitive	gamla	gǫmlu	gamla
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	gǫmlu	gǫmlu	gǫmlu
accusative	gǫmlu	gǫmlu	gǫmlu
dative	gǫmlum	gǫmlum	gǫmlum
genitive	gǫmlu	gǫmlu	gǫmlu

Declension of comparative of gamall

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellri	ellri	ellra
accusative	ellra	ellri	ellra
dative	ellra	ellri	ellra
genitive	ellra	ellri	ellra
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellri	ellri	ellri
accusative	ellri	ellri	ellri
dative	ellrum	ellrum	ellrum
genitive	ellri	ellri	ellri

Strong declension of superlative of gamall

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellztr	ellzt	ellzt
accusative	ellztan	ellzta	ellzt
dative	ellztum	ellztri	ellztu
genitive	ellzts	ellztrar	ellzts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellztir	ellztar	ellzt
accusative	ellzta	ellztar	ellzt
dative	ellztum	ellztum	ellztum
genitive	ellztra	ellztra	ellztra

Weak declension of superlative of gamall

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellzti	ellzta	ellzta
accusative	ellzta	ellztu	ellzta
dative	ellzta	ellztu	ellzta
genitive	ellzta	ellztu	ellzta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ellztu	ellztu	ellztu
accusative	ellztu	ellztu	ellztu
dative	ellztum	ellztum	ellztum
genitive	ellztu	ellztu	ellztu

Descendants

• Icelandic: gamall
• Faroese: gamal
• Elfdalian: gåmål
• Norn: gammel
• Norwegian Nynorsk: gamal, gammal, gamall
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: gammal
• Norwegian: gammalle, gåmål, gåmæⁱll, gabmal, gamadle (dialectal)
• Old Swedish: gamal
  • Swedish: gammal
• Danish: gammel
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gammel
• Gutnish: gammel, gamal

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “gamall”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive
• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “ellri”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive
• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “ellztr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive