the Old One
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9.9
- noun
- Literature
:
antepasado
- The villagers paid their respects to the Old One during the annual festival of remembrance.
- the Old One
Examples
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Legends tell of the wisdom of the Old One, who guided the ancestors through difficult times.
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It's a great honor for the Old One to choose you.
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Leave me to speak with the old one.
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Open the gates, let the Old Ones back in, and they will make you a god.
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"There are parts of this country where the Old Ways survive," Father Herrick pronounced.
Fiction book (1994) -
In many cultures, the Old One is seen as a guardian spirit watching over the community.
Synonyms
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7.0
A made-up animal or being from old stories that people often say is real
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A character from traditional stories who has magical powers
How Revered
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- Literature
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419
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- Literature
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Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituent words 'old' and 'one' allow a learner to infer a general meaning of an ancient or aged entity, so some basic understanding (an old being) is immediately derivable. However, the specialized fantasy/horror sense — a primordial, cosmic, often malevolent antagonist — is a culturally specific trope and not fully predictable from the parts, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
The Old One may come from families calling their oldest elder 'the old one' who sits by the fire, tells stories, and watches over the family. So it means a respected ancestor and 'protector'.