superl. of eald. I. eldest, oldest :-- Úre ieldesta mǽg parens primus [Adam], Past. 43, 5 ; Swt. 313, 15. Hé sóhte fram ðam yldestan óþ ðone gingestan quos scrutatus, incipiens a majore usque ad minimum. Gen. 44, 12. Ða yldestan senes, Ps. Th. 104, 18. Ða yldestan chus and cham hátene wǽron the eldest were named Cush and Ham, Cd. 79; Th. 97, 22; Gen. 1616. II. As the oldest might be supposed best fitted to fill the highest positions the word gets the meaning principal, chief, greatest :-- Se yldesta cardinarius, i. primarius, Ælfc. Gl. 48; Som. 65. 66; Wrt. Voc, 14, 1. Yldest byrla magister calicum. 113 : Som. 79, 130; Wrt. Voc. 60, 34. Hé wæs ieldesð [summus] ofer ða hálgan cirican, Past. 17, 6; Swt. 115, 16. Hwylc hyra yldest wǽre quis eorum major esset, Lk. Skt. 9, 46, 33, 24. Ieldesta bisceop pontifex maximus, Ors. 5, 4; Swt. 224, 2. Tyrus hét him tó clypian ðone ðe on ðam scype yldost wǽre Tyrus bade call to him the principal man on the ship, St. And. 28, 6. Hé clipode him tó his yldestan geréfan dixit ad servum seniorem. Gen. 24, 2. Aaron and ða yldestan men tam Aaron quam principes synagogæ, Ex. 34. 31. Ða ieldestan men ðe tó Bedanforda hiérdon, Chr. 918; Erl. 104, 23. Ða yldestan witan gehádode and leáwede Angelcynnes, 1012; Erl. 146, 7 : 978; Erl. 127, 9. Ða yldestan þægenas, 1015; Erl. 151, 19. Ealle ða yldestan menn on West-Seaxon all the principal men of Wessex, 1036; Erl. 165, 1. Ða ðe ieldeste wǽron equites, Ors. 6, 4; Swt. 260, 24. Ða yldstan setl on gesamnungum the highest seats in the synagogues; primas cathedras in synagogis, Lk. Skt. 20, 46. Ic hit rehte ðam yldostan Egiptan witun I told it to the chief wise men of Egypt, Gen. 41, 24. [Laym. ældeste : Ayenb. eldeste : Icel. ellztr : O. H. Ger. altist, altost primus, primogenitus; thie altoston thes folkes seniores. For the use similar to that given under II. of a word denoting in the first instance age, cf. Goth. þai sinistans (lit. eldest) manageins by which Ulfilas translates οί πρεσβυtonos;τεροι τοu λαοu ; and the passage in Ammianus Marcellinus 'sacerdos omnium maximus apud Burgundios vocatur sinistus.']