Where does “al” come from?
al (Old Swedish) comes from Old Norse ǫlr, from Proto-Germanic aluz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élis-, from Proto-Indo-European el- — to bend; red, brown; hungry.
Ancestry of “al”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | ǫlr | drunk; alder |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | aluz | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂élis- | alder |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | el- | to bend; red, brown; hungry |