old-man
UK[ˈəʊld mæn]US[ˈoʊld mæn]
n
An elderly man.
n
(informal) A husband or father, especially when referred to by his family.
n
(informal, often humorous) A man, especially one in a position of authority or one who is set in his ways.
Morpheme Breakdown
old
man
old
aged
man
adult male human
Etymology
The compound "old-man" is a straightforward combination of two native English words with ancient Germanic roots. "Old" descends from the Proto-Germanic aldaz, meaning "grown up, adult, old," which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root al-, meaning "to grow, nourish." "Man" originates from Proto-Germanic mann-, a term for a person, which is of uncertain deeper origin but may be connected to the PIE root man- (to think). The literal combination "aged male" has been in use since Old English. Over time, its semantic field expanded through familiar and affectionate usage within families, leading to informal meanings referring to one's husband or father, and later, to any man viewed as representative of established authority or traditional habits.
Analysis
Structure: old (aged) + man (adult male human)
- old: From Old English eald, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt. Denotes having lived for a long time.
- man: From Old English mann, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch man and German Mann. Denotes an adult human male.
Examples
The old-man sitting on the park bench fed the pigeons every morning.
She told her friends she had to get home to cook dinner for her old-man.
The new regulations were dismissed by the old-man of the department as unnecessary bureaucracy.