Where does “al” come from?

al (Middle English) comes from Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic all, from Proto-Germanic allaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

al (Middle English): Alternative form of all; completely, entirely

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of all; completely, entirely

Ancestry of “al”, step by step

al traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English all

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishallall; all, every
2Old Englisheallall; whole, entire; everything
3Proto-West Germanicallall
4Proto-Germanicallazall
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via Old English æl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishælawl, hook, fork; Alternative form of æl; eel
2Proto-West Germanicāleel
3Proto-Germanicēlazeel

Words derived from “al”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →Every word from Proto-Germanic allaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic all →