Where does “al-” come from?

al- (Proto-Germanic) comes from Proto-Indo-European el- — to bend; red, brown; hungry.

al- (Proto-Germanic): to spur, drive, be enthusiastic

Definitions

  1. to spur, drive, be enthusiastic

Ancestry of “al-”, step by step

al- traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Indo-European el-

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeanel-to bend; red, brown; hungry

via Proto-Indo-European lā-

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeanlā-to drive, move, go
Every word from Proto-Indo-European el-
al- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer