Where does “altar” come from?

altar (German) comes from Middle High German alter, from Old High German altar, from Proto-Germanic aldrą, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

altar (German): altar table or similar structure used for religious rites

Definitions

  1. altar table or similar structure used for religious rites

Ancestry of “altar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanalter—
2Old High Germanaltarage
3Proto-Germanicaldrąlife; lifetime, age
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “altar”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →