Skyrim Why Elder Scrolls?

[pjedilord]

Why is called Elder Scrolls? they are item so should be called Older Scrolls
Not Elder Scrolls, Elder we call person who is Elder of clan, we don't call him
Older? Dictionary proves I am right meaning to person.

Scrolls get old so they become Older Scrolls not Elder Scrolls.
What happen in the prequels to be called Elder Scrolls?So they had importance
In the prequels? Was the Scroll Serena had from the prequel?

[FauxFurry]

The scrolls predate all other things in any given kalpa so they could be called the Eldest Scrolls. They are not, however, merely old scrolls as they are objects which transcend time and space.

[Know Won]

What if it was owned by an Elder and thus named for them , best not play with it the Elder may come for it.

[Quevik]

The english language comes from England. England is not part of Tamriel. Ergo, the races on tamriel speaking a language that bares many similarities to English need not adhere to the rules of the English language.

[HazakTheMad]

Bethesda actually did say why, it sounded cool when they were making the first two games.
Later they made the magic scrolls to give meaning to them.

I think it was Todd Howard or the person who had his position previously.

[Girl-y-Girl]

Originally posted by Quevik:

The english language comes from England. England is not part of Tamriel. Ergo, the races on tamriel speaking a language that bares many similarities to English need not adhere to the rules of the English language.

Tamriel is the one place the british have never conquered, thank the Divines.

Though, while we're on the subject of languages and linguistics, it's important to point out that the words 'older' and 'elder' (as well as 'alderman' to a slightly lesser extent) are cognate; i.e. they're derived from the same etymological root. In this case, utimately a Proto-Indo-European root meaning, roughly, 'sage' or 'wise-man', who were, at the time, always the oldest member of a clan, family, or tribe ('wise' meaning, in this instance, 'highly knowledgeable about the world through a literal lifetime of experience'). More information can be found here[en.wiktionary.org], here[en.wiktionary.org], and here[en.wiktionary.org].

[pjedilord]

Thanks what about Scroll Serena had?

[lukandroll]

I think the scrolls actually can't be called older, as they are above the concept of time
Maybe the term "Elder scroll" its meant to signify a term used by proto civilizations in the meaning they are what the elders of each village mentioned as the roots of prophecies
I don't know

[Girl-y-Girl]

Originally posted by pjedilord:

Thanks what about Scroll Serena had?

Every single Elder Scroll predates even the Dawn Era[en.uesp.net], so the Scroll Serana was carrying would have been a permanent fixture in the Aurbis, being necessary for the possible future it predicted (just like the one acquired during the main quest, or the one acquired during the final quest for the Thieves' Guild in Oblivion).

[ihoujin.]

The Scrolls also have a will of their own, so you can speculate that they have a mind and by extention a soul. Making them "people" and thus giving the "Elder" over "Older" a reason.

[LSD Paradox]

Originally posted by pjedilord:

Why is called Elder Scrolls? they are item so should be called Older Scrolls
Not Elder Scrolls, Elder we call person who is Elder of clan, we don't call him
Older? Dictionary proves I am right meaning to person.

Scrolls get old so they become Older Scrolls not Elder Scrolls.
What happen in the prequels to be called Elder Scrolls?So they had importance
In the prequels? Was the Scroll Serena had from the prequel?

so I was at a Wendys ordering a large Fry.....

[Eat3n]

How is everyone this dense? "Elders" are people that lead, etc, etc, but they also give wisdom and insight...which the scrolls just happen to do if you read them!

Originally posted by ihoujin.:

The Scrolls also have a will of their own, so you can speculate that they have a mind and by extention a soul. Making them "people" and thus giving the "Elder" over "Older" a reason.

This dude at least put some thought into his answer.

[Melkolf]

Elder in this context means the first or the foremost. Yes, that usually would make it the 'oldest' but not necessarily. For example the Elder of a clan doesn't necessarily have to be the oldest/eldest person alive in that clan.

The term Elder is correct in the TES context, in both English usage and grammar.

Dictionaries merely describe what a word means, they rarely point out all the uses throughout time and space that a word has gone through, especially on-line or shorter dictionaries.

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by pjedilord:

Why is called Elder Scrolls? they are item so should be called Older Scrolls
Not Elder Scrolls, Elder we call person who is Elder of clan, we don't call him
Older? Dictionary proves I am right meaning to person.

Scrolls get old so they become Older Scrolls not Elder Scrolls.
What happen in the prequels to be called Elder Scrolls?So they had importance
In the prequels? Was the Scroll Serena had from the prequel?

Elder: someone or something that is older than what it is being compared to....

You can refer for example to the Elder Country, meaning a country that is older than yours...
Doesn't have to be a person.

[Missouri Bob]

I guarantee that there is someone reading this and treating it serious.

I weep for mankind.

[DrNewcenstein]

Originally posted by TheWashableBomb:

I guarantee that there is someone reading this and treating it serious.

I weep for mankind. :AetherRay:

I'm rooting for the giant meteor.