Etymology Explorer › Old Portuguese

Where does “alto” come from?

alto (Old Portuguese) comes from Latin altus, from Proto-Italic altos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él-.

Ancestry of “alto”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinaltushigh, tall; deep; profound
2Proto-Italicaltos—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-—

Words derived from “alto”

  • Altíssimo
  • altíssimo
  • alto
  • altivo
  • altear
  • alta
  • enaltecer
  • altissimamente
  • planalto
  • altamente
  • alto
  • altofalante
  • alta
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →