Young

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /jʌŋ/

Definitions

1. Not yet fully grown or developed; in an early stage of life or existence
2. Being in the stage of life that is prior to maturity or full development
3. Having lived or existed for a relatively short time in comparison to the full lifespan of the species; characterized by freshness or newness

Etymology: Few common English words have such a long unbroken line behind them. "Young" descends from Proto-Indo-European roots that are reconstructed as meaning "young" and reach back to a prehistoric ancestor of the modern word, passing through Proto-Germanic "jungaz" and Old English "geong" before becoming Middle English "yong" and "yonge." Its survival is notable because the same root appears across the Germanic family: German "jung," Dutch "jong," Swedish and Danish "ung," Icelandic "ungur," and even Gothic "juggs" all preserve the same idea. The sense has stayed remarkably stable. Where many everyday words have drifted toward new meanings, "young" still describes exactly what it did in Old English, a creature or person not yet fully grown. The word's cognates in the other Germanic languages show that this basic idea was shared by the ancestors of English, German, and Scandinavian speakers long before those languages separated.

Synonyms: youthful, immature, juvenile, novice, fresh

Antonyms: old, aged, mature, senior, elderly