Where does “altitude” come from?

Altitude derives from Latin altitudo, formed from Latin altus meaning "high," which continues Proto-Indo-European h₂el- meaning "to grow" or "be high."

altitude (English): The absolute height of a location, usually...

Definitions

  1. The absolute height of a location, usually...

Ancestry of “altitude”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinaltitūdōheight (distance from bottom to top)
2Latinaltushigh, tall; deep; profound
3Proto-Italicaltos—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “altitude”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →