Where does “ells” come from?

ells (Middle English) comes from Old English elles, from Proto-West Germanic alljas, from Proto-Germanic aljas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élyos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

Ancestry of “ells”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishellesother, else; other, otherwise, different
2Proto-West Germanicalljaselse, otherwise, besides
3Proto-Germanicaljasof another, of something else
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂élyosother, another
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “ells”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →
ells — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer