# What is the oldest 'new' thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259 "2015-10-31T14:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/21 "2015-10-31T19:34:42Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > How about [Cenozoic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenozoic): > > (Bolding mine) How long have we been calling it that? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/22 "2015-10-31T19:36:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Ahem Ahem > > I don’t think the New Kingdom is still around in the way **Mangetout** intends It could qualify if it persisted in that name for longer than anything else has before or since. It only needs to be continuous, not still in existence today. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/23 "2015-10-31T19:48:30Z")
\*\*\*\*[New Covenant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Covenant): > [@](#): > > The New Covenant (Hebrew ברית חדשה About this sound berit hadashah; Greek διαθήκη καινή diatheke kaine) is a biblical interpretation originally derived from a phrase in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is often thought of as an eschatological Messianic Age or world to come and is related to the biblical concept of the Kingdom of God. > > Generally, Christians believe that the\*\* New Covenant was instituted at the Last Supper as part of the Eucharist\*\*, which in the Gospel of John includes the New Commandment. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/24 "2015-10-31T20:08:21Z")
The repertory of the _Ars nova_, a musical style of the 14th century, is still referred to as that, and the term was explicitly coined by contemporary theorists. _Nouvelle cuisine_, the “culinary revolution” from the 1970s, coined then by two journalists, and which you still see thrown around, has been used by writers to describe their cooking since at least the 17th century. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/25 "2015-10-31T20:34:25Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > How long have we been calling it that? I see your point, the expression was probably coined in the late 19th or in the 20th century. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/26 "2015-10-31T21:16:04Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The New Testament would seem to predate most of these, depending on when you consider it to have come into form under that name. According to the New 🙂 World Encyclopedia: [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/New\_Testament](http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/New_Testament) > [@](#): > > The term New Testament is a translation from the Latin Novum Testamentum first coined by the second century Christian writer Tertullian. It is related to the concept expressed by the prophet Jeremiah (31:33), that translates into English as new covenant: > > 'The time is coming," declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… ’ > > This concept of the new covenant is also discussed in the eighth chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews, in which the “old covenant” is portrayed as inferior and even defective (Hebrews 8:7). Indeed, many Christians considered the “old” covenant with the Jews to be obsolete. In Tertullian’s day, some even considered the God of the Hebrew Bible to be a very different being than the Heavenly Father of Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/27 "2015-10-31T22:16:19Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > How long have we been calling it that? [Cenozoic (as Kainozoic) was first used in 1840.](http://www.livescience.com/40352-cenozoic-era.html) > [@Mangetout](#): > > It could qualify if it persisted in that name for longer than anything else has before or since. It only needs to be continuous, not still in existence today. The New Kingdom wasn’t called that at the time it existed. The terms Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms came into use in the nineteenth century. If we consider things named after the fact, then Neolithic would be a contender, having existed from 10,000 BC to about 4,500 BC or later. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/28 "2015-10-31T22:19:51Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > The current name of the town, _Neustadt_, certainly isn’t nearly that old. I would guess the name was coined fairly recently, probably 20th century. Most towns that are called _Neustadt_ are actually fairly new administrative entities, comprised of smaller and much older places as well as new settlements. Well…if you’d clicked the link you’d have seen the 889 reference to _Niunstadt_. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/29 "2015-10-31T22:58:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If we consider things named after the fact, then Neolithic would be a contender, having existed from 10,000 BC to about 4,500 BC or later. [Piker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neogene): > [@](#): > > The Neogene /ˈniːɵdʒiːn/ is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 million years ago and ending 2.58 million years ago. Admittedly, it’s in dispute, but it’s a very old “new” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/30 "2015-10-31T23:05:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The New Kingdom wasn’t called that at the time it existed. The terms Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms came into use in the nineteenth century. In that case, yeah, disqualified. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/31 "2015-10-31T23:09:02Z")
Just to be really clear, I’m looking for things that lasted a long time along with their coined name containing the term ‘new’ - not long-lasting things that were later called ‘new’ ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/32 "2015-10-31T23:43:54Z")
Not quite a match for the New Forest, but notably old: [New College, Oxford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_College,_Oxford) dates from 1379. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/33 "2015-11-01T00:49:24Z")
Ron Wood, the “new” Rolling Stone" is 68. Just saying… ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/34 "2015-11-01T08:06:20Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Well…if you’d clicked the link you’d have seen the 889 reference to _Niunstadt_. I stand corrected :o (I was irritated by the fact that the coat of arms of the city was created in 1968). ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/35 "2015-11-01T11:12:26Z")
Not really meeting the OP’s criteria, but perhaps of interest anyway: the [Old New Synagogue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_New_Synagogue) in Prague, built in the 13th century. It was originally called ‘New Synagogue’, but they eventually got around to building newer ones. Nowadays, it’s actually the oldest active synagogue in Europe. Also, it’s said to contain the remains of the Golem. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/36 "2015-11-02T12:17:00Z")
The Emperor Constantine founded New Rome in 330 A.D. and, while the city is now called Istanbul, it’s still referred to as New Rome on occasion by the Eastern Orthodox Church. But that might be a bit a bit of a stretch for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/37 "2015-11-02T12:31:55Z")
It’s not at all in the running, but I thought it deserved a mention. Massachusetts’ New State House, which is still called that (and not simply " the State House") has been called that since it was built in 1798. The reason is that the Old State House (which is only 85 years older) is still only a couple of blocks away. The Old State House is still called that. By comparison, Boston City Hall (only a couple of blocks from both of these) is no longer called “New City Hall” , as it was when I first came to Boston, and Old City Hall is rarely called that anymore. Now they call it Ruth’s Chris steak House. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/38 "2015-11-02T14:59:28Z")
Wikipedia says that Novaya Zemlya (“New Land”) was known to the Russians from the 11th century, but I don’t know how far back the name goes. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/39 "2015-11-02T15:15:17Z")
Carthage, meaning “New City”, is quite ancient. Some founding legends date it to just after the Trojan War (lots of events are linked to that in classical “history”). More reliably, it was probably around by at least 800BC. Cartagena, in Spain, was refounded as another Carthage in the 3rd century BC, renamed Carthago Nova: New Carthage (New New City) by the Romans. Cartagena, in Columbia, was named after the Spanish one. Some people called it unofficially New Cartagena (New New New City) to distinguish it from the old one. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259/40 "2015-11-02T22:08:11Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [Piker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neogene):Admittedly, it’s in dispute, but it’s a very old “new” thing. By that same method of thinking, the New World should be dated to the Americas splitting off from Europe and Africa a few million years ago, rather than to the coining of the phrase, “The New World”. Similarly, I could just call our universe “The New Universe” and now I’ve won the thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-new-thing/736259.md?page=3)