Etymology Explorer › Spanish

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-.

alto (Spanish): tall; high; loud

Definitions

  1. tall; high; loud

Ancestry of “alto”, step by step

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

Words derived from “alto”

  • altiplano
  • altísimo
  • alteza
  • altivo
  • altoextremeño
  • altear
  • alta
  • enaltecer
  • altavoz
  • altiplano
  • altamente
  • altiplánico
  • altibajo
  • altura
  • komòlto'óna
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →