Where does “alter” come from?

alter (Middle High German) comes from Old High German altar, from Proto-Germanic aldrą, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

Ancestry of “alter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanaltarage
2Proto-Germanicaldrąlife; lifetime, age
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

Words derived from “alter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →