different between ould vs oul

English

Alternative forms

• auld, oul', oul

Etymology

From old.

Pronunciation

• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /a?ld/
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /a?l/

Adjective

ould (comparative oulder, superlative ouldest)

1. (slang, Ireland) old, aged, long-established
   • "The Ould Lammas Fair takes place in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim on the last Monday and Tuesday in August. It's one of the oldest fairs in Ireland"
   • "But, begonnies, in three months I was able to send home for the ouldest little girl--she was only nine years of age."
   • "maybe they'd come round you to play wid you, an' then what's the harum, barrin' they're not any o' the grown brats, as ould or oulder than yourself, that you're behoulden to keep at a distance"

ould (not comparable)

1. (slang, Ireland) term of denigration
   • "Sonny'll tell you all about it, but pay no heed to him. He's only an ould goat anyway."
2. (slang, Ireland) term of diminution (often affectionate)
   • for home entertainment they then have to endure the bloody Afternoon Show on RTE, all that bullshit about cookery and clothes and celebrity gossip, when all they want is an ould song from Johnny McEvoy.

Usage notes

Used in spelling pronunciations of popular speech.

Synonyms

• old: See also Thesaurus:old
• term of denigration: old, stupid, piffling, bloody
• term of diminution: old, wee

Derived terms

• ould fella
• ould one
• Ould Sod

References

Anagrams

• Loud, Ludo, loud, ludo, ludo-

English

Adjective

oul (comparative more oul, superlative most oul)

1. (Ireland) Alternative form of ould

Anagrams

• Lou, Luo, UOL

Middle English

Noun

oul

1. Alternative form of oule

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

Scots

Alternative forms

• ool

Etymology 1

Noun

oul (plural ouls)

1. owl

Etymology 2

Verb

oul (third-person singular present ouls, present participle oulin, past oult, past participle oult)

1. To treat harshly, ill-use, bully