Where does “alack” come from?
Alack is an exclamation borrowed from Middle English alacke, which derives from Chinese a, a particle expressing emotion or surprise.
alack (English): An expression of sorrow or mourning
Definitions
- An expression of sorrow or mourning
Ancestry of “alack”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | alacke | — |
| 2 | English | ah | An expression of relief, relaxation, comfort,... |
| 3 | Chinese | 阿 | — |
| 4 | English | aren’t | are not (negative auxiliary) |
| 5 | English | -n’t | — |
| 6 | English | Not | — |
| 7 | Middle English | not | not; nothing, nought; nobody, no person |
| 8 | Middle English | nought | nothing, none; not; iniquitous, wicked |
| 9 | Old English | nōwiht | — |
| 10 | Old English | ne | not; or, and not; "ne... ne..." is used to mean "... |
| 11 | Old English | ealles | completely, wholly, entirely; totally,... |
| 12 | Old English | eall | all; whole, entire; everything |
| 13 | Proto-West Germanic | all | all |
| 14 | Proto-Germanic | allaz | all |