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- — to grow, nourish.

alter (German): age, old age

Definitions

  1. age, old age

Ancestry of “alter”, step by step

alter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Alt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanAltalto; A type of beer, typical to the Rhineland...
2Middle High Germanalt
3Old High Germanaltold
4Proto-West Germanicaldold
5Proto-Germanicaldazold, grown up
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via Middle High German alter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanalter
2Old High Germanaltarage
3Proto-Germanicaldrąlife; lifetime, age

Words derived from “alter

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-