different between seld vs seldom

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English selde (“seat, store”), from Old English seld (noun), neuter, metathetic form of setl (noun) (English settle)

Noun

seld (plural selds)

1. (obsolete) A seat, throne.
2. (obsolete) A shop. (In Medieval Latin records selda or silda (cf. Latin sella (“seat, chair”)); also in Anglo-Norman form seude). Also, a stand for spectators.

Etymology 2

From Middle English selde (adjective) and selde (adverb), a back-formation from Old English seldor (“more seldom”), seldost (“most seldom”).

Adjective

seld (comparative more seld, superlative most seld)

1. (archaic) Rare, uncommon.

   Synonyms: infrequent, scarce, uncommon; see also Thesaurus:rare

2. Unusual, unwonted.

   Synonyms: bizarre, odd, weird; see also Thesaurus:strange

Adverb

seld (comparative more seld, superlative most seld)

1. (obsolete or dialectal, Scotland) Seldom.
   • , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.191:

     knowing how far such an amitie is from the common use, and how seld seene and rarely found, I looke not to finde a competent judge.

   Synonyms: infrequently, scarcely, uncommonly; see also Thesaurus:occasionally

Derived terms

• seldsome

Related terms

• selly

Anagrams

• Dels, EDLs, ELSD, LEDs, SLED, dels, sled

Norwegian Nynorsk

Participle

seld (neuter singular selt, definite singular and plural selde)

1. sold; past participle of selja and selje

Anagrams

• dels

English

Alternative forms

• seldome (obsolete)

Etymology

From late Middle English seldom, alteration of earlier selden, from Old English seldan (“seldom”), from Proto-Germanic *seldan?. Cognate with Saterland Frisian säilden (“seldom”), West Frisian selden, komselden (“rare, seldom”), Dutch zelden, German selten, Danish sjælden, Norwegian sjelden, Swedish sällan, Faroese sjáldan, Icelandic sjaldan. More at seld and selly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?ld?m/

Adverb

seldom (comparative more seldom or seldomer, superlative most seldom or seldomest)

1. Infrequently, rarely.

   Synonyms: barely, hardly, rarely, scarcely, infrequently, seldomly; see also Thesaurus:occasionally

   Antonyms: often, frequently; see also Thesaurus:often

Usage notes

• It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. Compare he seldom ever plays tennis with he almost never plays tennis.
• The form seldomly, derived from the (now archaic) adjectival use, exists, but has not gained widespread acceptance.

Derived terms

• seldom or ever
• seldomtimes
• unseldom

Translations

Adjective

seldom (comparative more seldom or seldomer, superlative most seldom or seldomest)

1. (archaic) Rare; infrequent.

   Synonyms: geason, uncommon; see also Thesaurus:rare

   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     a suppressed and seldom anger

Derived terms

• seldomly
• seldomness

Related terms

• seld

Translations

Anagrams

• lesdom, models, somdel

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English seldan.

Adverb

seldom

1. Alternative form of selden (“seldom”)

Etymology 2

From Old English selden.

Adjective

seldom

1. Alternative form of selden (“uncommon”)