Where does “alan” come from?

alan (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic alaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

alan (Old English): to nourish; to grow, produce; to appear

Definitions

  1. to nourish; to grow, produce; to appear

Ancestry of “alan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicalanąto grow; to grow old, to mature; to breed
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →Every word from Proto-Germanic alaną →