Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Alpen” come from?

Alpen (German) comes from Middle High German alben, from Old High German alba, from Proto-West Germanic *albijā.

Alpen (German): the Alps; alps

Definitions

  1. the Alps; alps

Ancestry of “Alpen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanalben—
2Old High Germanalbaalpine pasture; alp
3Proto-West Germanic*albijā—

Words derived from “Alpen”

  • alpenstock
  • Alpenglühen
  • Voralpen
  • Alpenstock
  • Alpenverein
  • Alpenveilchen
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *albijā →