Meaning: old

Illustrative Context

He lives in the old house, not the new house.

Target Sense

• The default adjective as antonym of new, referring to an inanimate object.
• The target sense is thus not the age of a person, i.e. not the antonym of ‘young’.
• In many languages, as with English old, the same basic lexeme can be applied both to inanimate objects and to the age of people or other animates. This extension to a wider range of application is not an issue, so long as the lexeme concerned is the basic term for the target here: old as applied to an inanimate object. Avoid, however, lexemes that uniquely or predominantly apply to people (or other animates), e.g. elderly.
• Avoid intensifying terms that specifically stress great age, e.g. ancient or French vétuste. Likewise, avoid attenuating terms for only somewhat old.
• Avoid aspectual derivations such as aged, ageing or French vieillissant, unless the literal aspectual sense has been lost and this lexeme has become a language’s default basic adjective for old.
• The target sense is simply that of age. Avoid terms that focus instead on state, condition or (failing) utility: i.e. worn out, delapidated, ruined, etc..
• Avoid terms that apply uniquely or predominantly to food, e.g. (gone) off, rotten.
• Enter the most basic, neutral term. Avoid lexemes with any inherent value judgement, e.g. old-fashioned in style or antiquated in technology.
• See also the definition for the IE-CoR meaning new.