gammelt

Gammelt is the neuter singular form of the adjective gammel in Danish and Norwegian, used to mean old in the sense of age, antiquity, or old-fashionedness. It accompanies neuter nouns, as in et gammelt hus or et gammelt design, and can describe something as outdated or not modern. In phrases with common nouns of different gender, the masculine or feminine form gammel is used instead (for example en gammel bil).

Etymology and cognates: The word derives from a common North Germanic root for “old.” It has cognates in related languages, such as Swedish gammalt, Norwegian gammalt, and Danish gammelt, all tracing back to an older form such as Old Norse gamall. The semantic core is the same: age or antiquity, with a continued use to denote old-fashionedness in some contexts.

Usage notes: In practice, gammelt is most often found with neuter nouns in indefinite phrases (et gammelt hus, et gammelt tøj). In definite constructions, the definite neuter form is typically det gamle, as in det gamle huset. For masculine or feminine nouns, the corresponding form is gammel (en gammel bil, den gamle bil). The term can describe physical age, wear, or obsolescence, and can also pair with expressions that indicate old-fashioned style, though more direct terms like gammeldags are common for “old-fashioned” in a fashion sense.

See also: gammel, gammeldags, Norwegian and Danish adjective inflection.