Etymology Explorer › Middle English

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-.

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

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of all; completely, entirely

Ancestry of “al”, step by step

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

Words derived from “al”

  • awl
  • aul
  • bradawl
  • awllike
  • awlwort
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →