Can we use “elder to” as a comparative adjective?
As I understand, in comparative form of Adjectives, elder is used of persons, and older is used of both persons or things. One other feature of elder is that it is not used with than. However, it is not clear to me whether it can be used with to. For example, while the following are most likely correct
X is my elder brother
X is older than me
is it okay to use elder to in the following way
X is elder to me
While we are on the topic, I would also like to get some advice on how to use them when specifying the age. Like, what is the proper way to write the following sentences
When using elder
X is elder to me by 2 years/X is 2 years my elder
When using older
X is 2 years older than me/X is older than me by 2 years
Sorry if this comes across as too confusing. I tried my best to make it as clear as possible.
Thanks
You used to be able to use elder simply as the comparative degree of old, and indeed Shakespeare himself did so. But no, you cannot now say that someone is elder than another person. The OED has marked this use as obsolete via their ‘†’ sigil:
That has lived or existed longer; senior, more advanced in age.
† a. Formerly used (both of persons and things) as a predicate; also as an attribute followed by than. Now superseded by older.
The last three citations provided are:
- 1596 Shaks. Merch. V. ɪᴠ. i. 251 ― How much more elder art thou then thy lookes?
- A. 1639 W. Whateley Prototypes ɪɪ. xxxiv. (1640) 161 ― Friendship is like wine, the elder the better.
- 1673 Cave Prim. Chr. ɪ. vii. 203 ― A custom probably not much elder than his time.
We must now say that one person is older than another, not that they are †elder than the other.
Elder also has various substantive uses.
"Elder" and "eldest" are still used for family members and can stand comfortably on their own without "child" or "sibling" specified - eg "Jane is the elder" or "Harry is the eldest". Compared to non-siblings: "Harry is the oldest member of the team". The only "thing" use of elder I remember is when we speak of the "Elder Edda" from Iceland, but that doesn't come up very often.