Where does “all” come from?

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

all (Middle English): all; all, every

Definitions

  1. all; all, every

Ancestry of “all”, step by step

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

Words derived from “all”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →