Where does “alto” come from?

alto (Spanish) comes from Italian alto, from Latin altus, from Proto-Italic altos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós, from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- — to grow, nourish.

alto (Spanish): tall; high; loud

Definitions

  1. tall; high; loud

Ancestry of “alto”, step by step

alto traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian alto

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianaltohigh, tall; deep; loud
2Latinaltushigh, tall; deep; profound
3Proto-Italicaltos—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via German Halt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanHalthold; adhesion; foothold; grip; support
2Middle High Germanhalt—
3Proto-Germanic*haldiz—

Words derived from “alto”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →