vieille

Vieille is the feminine form of the French adjective vieux, meaning old. It agrees with feminine nouns: une vieille maison, une vieille amie. The masculine counterpart is vieux; before a vowel, the masculine form becomes vieil (un vieil homme).

Etymology and forms: The word derives from Old French viel/vieil, connected to the Latin vetus meaning old. Over time, the phonetic changes of French produced the modern forms vieille (feminine) and vieux/vieil (masculine, with avant-vowel alternation).

Usage and nuance: As an adjective, vieille describes age or antiquity in a neutral or descriptive sense. When used as a noun, une vieille can refer colloquially to an elderly woman, especially in informal speech, and may be affectionate, familiar, or pejorative depending on tone and context. More polite or formal alternatives include une vieille dame or une personne âgée. In compounds, the feminine form appears in phrases such as une vieille connaissance (a longtime acquaintance) or une vieille maison (an old house). The expression la vieille France is a cultural reference to traditional or nostalgic aspects of historical rural France.

Translations and equivalents: In English, vieille is typically translated as old (feminine). Its use as a noun or in informal speech requires attention to context, as it can carry warmth, familiarity, or insult depending on relationships and intonation.

See also: vieux, vieil, vieillesse, langue française.