Where does “al” come from?

al (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon āl, from Proto-West Germanic all, from Proto-Germanic allaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

al (Middle Low German): awl

Definitions

  1. awl

Ancestry of “al”, step by step

al traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Saxon āl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonālall
2Proto-West Germanicallall
3Proto-Germanicallazall
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via Proto-West Germanic ālu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicāluawl
2Proto-Germanicēlōawl
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ólosawl
4Proto-Indo-Europeanēl-awl, prong

Words derived from “al”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →Every word from Proto-Germanic allaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic all →
al — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer