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
- By oneself, solitary; Apart from, or exclusive...
Ancestry of “alone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | allone | alone |
| 2 | Middle English | on | on, in; on; Alternative form of oon |
| 3 | Old English | on | on, in, at, among; from |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ana | on |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *an | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
Words derived from “alone”