Where does “alter” come from?
alter (German) comes 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-.
Ancestry of “alter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Alt | alto; A type of beer, typical to the Rhineland... |
| 2 | Middle High German | alt | — |
| 3 | Old High German | alt | old |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ald | old |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | — |