Where does “ell” come from?
Ell comes from Middle English elne, from Old English ellen, from Proto-Germanic aljaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el-.
ell (English): A measure for cloth. An English ell was 1+1⁄4...
Definitions
- A measure for cloth. An English ell was 1+1⁄4...
Ancestry of “ell”, step by step
ell traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English L
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | L | The ordinal number twelfth, derived from this... |
| 2 | English | Latin | Of or relating to the language spoken in ancient... |
| 3 | Middle English | Latyn | Relating to the Latin language; Relating to the... |
| 4 | Old French | latin | Latin language |
| 5 | Latin | Latīnus | Latin; of or pertaining to Latium, the Latin language, people, or culture |
| 6 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |