Etymology Explorer › Swedish

Where does “al” come from?

al (Swedish) comes from Old Swedish āl, from Old Norse ǫlr, from Proto-Germanic aluz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂élis-, from Proto-Indo-European el- — to bend; red, brown; hungry.

al (Swedish): an eel; a dorsal stripe on a horse

Definitions

  1. an eel; a dorsal stripe on a horse

Ancestry of “al”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Swedishāl—
2Old Norseǫlrdrunk; alder
3Proto-Germanicaluz—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂élis-alder
5Proto-Indo-Europeanel-to bend; red, brown; hungry
Every word from Proto-Indo-European el- →