Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ale” come from?

Ale comes from Old English ealu, from Proto-West Germanic alu, from Proto-Germanic alu, from Proto-Indo-European h₂elut-, of unknown meaning.

ale (English): A beer made without hops; A beer produced by...

Definitions

  1. A beer made without hops; A beer produced by...

Ancestry of “ale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianalélet's go!, come on!
2Frenchallezsecond-person plural present indicative of aller;...
3Frenchallerto go; to be going ; will soon; to be
4Latinīre—
5Proto-ItaliceōI go
6Proto-Italicejō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁éytito go, to be going
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ey-to go

Words derived from “ale”

  • alewife
  • alegar
  • potale
  • alestake
  • scotale
  • alecost
  • alemonger
  • alebench
  • aleconner
  • alish
  • aletaster
  • alelike
  • soul-ale
  • alepole
  • bidale
  • ales
  • aleshop
  • ale
  • эль
  • ale
  • Ale
  • エール
  • ale
  • ель
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ey- →