Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “allude” come from?

Allude comes from Middle French alluder, from Latin alludere, combining the prefix ad- meaning "to" with a root from Proto-Indo-European h₂éd.

allude (English): To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion

Definitions

  1. To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion

Ancestry of “allude”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchalluder—
2Latinallūdere—
3LatinAd—
4Latinilliche, she, it, yonder, that, overthere; in that...
5Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
6LatinolleArchaic form of ille
7Proto-Italic*olnos—
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnos →