Where does “alone” come from?

Alone comes from Middle English allone, from Middle English oon and Old English ān, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- meaning to grow or nourish.

alone (English): By oneself, solitary; Apart from, or exclusive...

Definitions

  1. By oneself, solitary; Apart from, or exclusive...

Ancestry of “alone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishallonealone
2Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
3Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
4Proto-West Germanicanaon
5Proto-Germanic*an—
6Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “alone”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →