The story
- Middle English · inherited fromforeldre
- English todayfore-elder
From Middle English foreldre, from fore- (“fore-”) + eldre (“elder, ancestor”); equivalent to fore- + elder. Compare Old Norse foreldrar (“fore-elders”, plural), whence Danish forældre (“parents”), Swedish föräldrar (“parents”). Compare also Dutch voorouder (“ancestor”), German Voreltern (“ancestors”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.