Where does “Alice” come from?
Alice (French) comes from Old French Alis, from Old High German Adalheid, from Old High German adal, from Proto-West Germanic aþal, from Proto-Germanic aþalą, from Proto-Indo-European at-al, from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- — to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam.
Ancestry of “Alice”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | Alis | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Adalheid | — |
| 3 | Old High German | adal | noble; nobility; noble race |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | aþal | nobility; race |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aþalą | nature, disposition; nobility, race |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | at-al | family, race |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂el- | to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam |