Where does “alto” come from?

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

alto (Tagalog): halt!

Definitions

  1. halt!

Ancestry of “alto”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishaltotall; high; loud
2Italianaltohigh, tall; deep; loud
3Latinaltushigh, tall; deep; profound
4Proto-Italicaltos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →