Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “alein” come from?

alein (Middle High German) comes from Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.

Ancestry of “alein”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germaneinone
2Old High Germaneinone; only
3Proto-West Germanicainone
4Proto-Germanicainazone; some
5Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single

Words derived from “alein”

  • eläi
Every word from Proto-Indo-European óynos →