auld lang syne

[awld lang zahyn, sahyn]

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. old times, especially times fondly remembered.

2. old or long friendship.

auld lang syne

/ ˈɔːld læŋ ˈsəɪn, ˈzaɪn, ˈsaɪn /

noun

1. old times; times past, esp those remembered with affection or nostalgia

“Auld Lang Syne”

1. A traditional Scottish song, customarily sung on New Year's Eve; the title means “Time Long Past.” The words, passed down orally, were recorded by the eighteenth-century poet Robert Burns. The song begins:

   Should auld [old] acquaintance be forgot,

   And never brought to min'?

   Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

   And auld lang syne!

Word History and Origins

Origin of auld lang syne¹

First recorded in 1660–80; from Scots: literally, “old long since,” i.e., “old long-ago (days)”

Word History and Origins

Origin of auld lang syne¹

Scottish, literally: old long since