Where does “elif” come from?

elif (English) comes from English else, from Middle English ells, from Old English elles, from Proto-West Germanic alljas, from Proto-Germanic aljas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élyos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

elif (English): A conditional statement in computer code that runs after an "if" statement

Definitions

  1. A conditional statement in computer code that runs after an "if" statement

Ancestry of “elif”, step by step

elif traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English else

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishelseOther; in addition to previously mentioned items;...
2Middle Englishells
3Old Englishellesother, else; other, otherwise, different
4Proto-West Germanicalljaselse, otherwise, besides
5Proto-Germanicaljasof another, of something else
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂élyosother, another
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via English IF

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishIFInitialism of interactive fiction; Initialism of...
2Middle Englishifif, on condition that
3Old Englishġifif
4Proto-Germanicjabaiwhen, if
5Proto-Indo-Europeanē-then, at that time
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-