Where does “ala” come from?

Ala comes from French à la, which derives from Latin ala and Latin axis, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs- and h₂eǵ-.

ala (English): A wing or winglike structure; A winglike...

Definitions

  1. A wing or winglike structure; A winglike...

Ancestry of “ala”, step by step

ala traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin āla

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinālaa wing appendage of an animal's body that enables it to fly
2Latinaxla
3LatinaxisAn axletree of wagon, car, chariot; The North...
4Proto-Italicaksis
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱs-axis, axle
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

via French à la

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchà laUsed other than with a figurative or idiomatic...
2Englisha laIn the style or manner of
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱs-Every word from Proto-Italic aksis