Where does “else” come from?
else (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch alisa, from Frankish aliʀu, from Proto-Germanic alizō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élis-, from Proto-Indo-European el- — to bend; red, brown; hungry.
Ancestry of “else”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | alisa | — |
| 2 | Frankish | aliʀu | alder |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | alizō | alder |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂élis- | alder |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | el- | to bend; red, brown; hungry |
Words derived from “else”