Английский Этимологический словарь - ancient

- c.1390, from O.Fr. ancien, from V.L. *anteanus, adjectivization of L. ante "before, in front of, against," from PIE *anti "against," locative singular of *ant- "front, forehead." With parasitic -t- 15c. by influence of words in -ent. Specifically, "belonging to the period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire." In Eng. law, "from before the Norman Conquest." Ancient of Days is from Dan. vii.9. Meaning "standard-bearer" (1554, archaic, but preserved in Shakespeare's Aunchient Pistoll in "Henry V") is a corruption of ensign.