Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ethel” come from?

ethel (English) comes from Middle English ethel, from Old English æþel, from Old English æþele, from Proto-Germanic aþalaz, from Proto-Germanic aþalą, from Proto-Indo-European at-al, from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- — to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam.

ethel (English): The letter Œ/œ, or the rune ᛟ; Alternative form...

Definitions

  1. The letter Œ/œ, or the rune ᛟ; Alternative form...

Ancestry of “ethel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishethelhomeland, ancestral territory; patrimony; athel
2Old Englishæþelhomeland, ancestral territory; noble, a person of...
3Old Englishæþelenoble
4Proto-Germanicaþalaznoble
5Proto-Germanicaþaląnature, disposition; nobility, race
6Proto-Indo-Europeanat-alfamily, race
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂el-to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- →