Where does “else” come from?
Else comes from Middle English elles, from Old English elles, from Proto-West Germanic alljas, from Proto-Germanic aljaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élyos, ultimately from the root h₂el-.
else (English): Other; in addition to previously mentioned items;...
Definitions
- Other; in addition to previously mentioned items;...
Ancestry of “else”, step by step
else traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ells
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ells | — |
| 2 | Old English | elles | other, else; other, otherwise, different |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | alljas | else, otherwise, besides |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aljas | of another, of something else |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂élyos | other, another |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |