Where does “alibi” come from?

Alibi comes from Latin alibi, meaning "elsewhere," derived from Latin alius meaning "other," which traces to Proto-Indo-European h₂élyos with the same sense.

alibi (English): The plea or mode of defense under which a person...

Definitions

  1. The plea or mode of defense under which a person...

Ancestry of “alibi”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchalibialibi
2Latinalibielsewhere, somewhere else
3Latinaliusother, another, any other; else; different
4Proto-Italicaljosanother
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂élyosother, another
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “alibi”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →