antediluvian

== English == === Etymology === From ante- (prefix meaning ‘prior to in time’) +‎ Latin dīluvium (“a flood”) +‎ -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming agent nouns), referring the story of Noah’s Ark, through which God rescues Noah, his family, and examples of all the world’s animals from the great flood, which is related in Genesis 6–9 of the Bible. Dīluvium is derived from dīluō (“to wash away”) (from dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, asunder, in two’) + lavō (“to wash”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”))) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The English word is analyzable as ante- +‎ diluvian. Adjective sense 2 (“long extinct”) is from the fact that such animals and plants were originally believed to have perished in the biblical flood referred to above. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌæn.tɪ.dɪˈluː.vɪ.ən/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌæn.ti.dəˈlu.vi.ən/, /-tə-/, /ˌæn.tə(ˌ)daɪˈlu.vi.ən/, [-ɾi-], [-ɾə-] Rhymes: -uːviən Hyphenation: an‧ti‧di‧luv‧i‧an === Adjective === antediluvian (comparative more antediluvian, superlative most antediluvian) (biblical) Belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies. Synonyms: antediluvial, prediluvian, preflood Coordinate term: prelapsarian (by extension) Of animals and plants: long extinct; prehistoric. (figurative, hyperbolic, chiefly humorous) Of a person or thing: very old; ancient. Synonyms: prehistoric; see also Thesaurus:old Antonyms: see Thesaurus:young Of attitudes, ideas, etc.: extremely old-fashioned, especially to a laughable extent; antiquated. Synonyms: (rare) antediluvial, (Britain, informal) out of the ark; see also Thesaurus:obsolete Antonyms: see Thesaurus:new ==== Alternative forms ==== antedeluvian (obsolete) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === antediluvian (plural antediluvians) (biblical) A person who lived in the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, especially one of the biblical patriarchs. Synonym: prediluvian (figurative, hyperbolic, chiefly humorous) A very old person. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:old person Antonyms: see Thesaurus:child A person with extremely old-fashioned attitudes, ideas, etc., especially to a laughable extent; a fogey or old fogey. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === antediluvian on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French antédiluvien. === Noun === antediluvian n (plural antediluvieni) antediluvian ==== Declension ====