Where does “Alter” come from?
Alter (German) comes from German Alte, from German Alt, from Middle High German alt, from Old High German alt, from Proto-West Germanic ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.
Alter (German): age, old age; antiquity; epoch, age
Definitions
- age, old age; antiquity; epoch, age
Ancestry of “Alter”, step by step
Alter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Alte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Alte | inflection of Alter: ## strong... |
| 2 | German | Alt | alto; A type of beer, typical to the Rhineland... |
| 3 | Middle High German | alt | — |
| 4 | Old High German | alt | old |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | ald | old |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |