old-fashioned
Meaning
Belonging to or typical of a style or method from the past; no longer modern or fashionable.
(Of a person) having traditional ideas or values that are considered outdated.
Structure
Usage
She collects old-fashioned typewriters and fountain pens.
His views on marriage are rather old-fashioned.
The hotel room was decorated in a charming, old-fashioned style.
Etymology
The compound adjective 'old-fashioned' emerged in the late 16th century, directly combining the Germanic-derived 'old' with the Romance-derived 'fashioned'. Its literal sense, "made in an old style or manner," originally described objects like clothing or furniture. Over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically to describe ideas, customs, or people perceived as adhering to the ways of a past era, thus acquiring its modern connotations of being out of date or quaintly traditional. The term perfectly illustrates how English blends its linguistic heritage to create descriptive concepts about time and style.
Analysis
- old: From Old English eald, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt. In this compound, it denotes something from a previous time. - fashioned: From the past participle of the verb fashion, from Old French façonner, from Latin factio(n-), from facere 'to make'. In this compound, it means 'made' or 'formed in a particular way'.