Where does “all” come from?

All comes from Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic all, from Proto-Germanic allaz, from Proto-Indo-European al-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- meaning to grow or nourish.

all (English): Every individual or anything of the given class,...

Definitions

  1. Every individual or anything of the given class,...

Ancestry of “all”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishallall; all, every
2Old Englisheallall; whole, entire; everything
3Proto-West Germanicallall
4Proto-Germanicallazall
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “all

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-
all — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer