Indo-European Lexicon
PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes
Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.
Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.
All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.
Pokorny Etymon: 2. al- 'to grow, nourish, enhance'
Semantic Field(s): to Grow
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | al | n | bank | GED |
| alim | vb | to nourish, bring up | GED | |
| alt | n | height, bank | GED | |
| altae | adj | adult | GED | |
| altram | n | nourishment | GED | |
| altru | n | foster-father | GED | |
| Welsh: | athraw | n | teacher | GED |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | alan | vb.str | to nourish | GED |
| aldor | n.masc | chief, prince, lit. elder | ASD | |
| (e)ald | adj | old | GED | |
| eal(d)dōm | n.str.masc/neut | old age | GED | |
| ealdor | n.str.masc | elder, parent, prince; life | LRC | |
| ealdor-mon(n) | n.masc | nobleman, lit. elder man | ASD | |
| ield(o) | n.str.fem | age | GED | |
| ieldra | adj.comp | elder, older | GED | |
| or-eald | adj | very-old, lit. from (of) old | ASD | |
| wer-old | n.str.fem | era, world | GED | |
| ylde | n.str.fem | age | GED | |
| Middle English: | abolisshen | vb | to abolish | W7 |
| adolescent | adj | adolescent | AHD | |
| alde, old(e) | adj | old | MEV | |
| alderman | n | English administrator | W7 | |
| aliment | n | aliment | W7 | |
| altitude | n | altitude | W7 | |
| elder | n | elder | W7 | |
| enhauncen | vb | to enhance | W7 | |
| exalten | vb | to exalt | W7 | |
| haute | adj | haughty | W7 | |
| hawser | n | hawser, large rope for ships | W7 | |
| English: | abolish | vb.trans | to annul, cancel, do away with | AHD/W7 |
| adolescent | n | young teenager (typically 11-15 years) | AHD/W7 | |
| adult | adj | grown person | AHD/W7 | |
| alderman | n | English administrator | AHD/W7 | |
| Aldor | prop.n | 3rd Rohan king in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| alible | adj | nourishing, having nutrients | AHD | |
| aliment | n | food, nutriment | AHD/W7 | |
| alimony | n | monetary allowance | AHD/W7 | |
| alt | adj/n | (re:) 1st octave above treble staff | AHD | |
| alth(a)ea | n | hollycock, marsh mallow | AHD/OED | |
| altimeter | n | height measurement tool | AHD/W7 | |
| altiplano | n | high plain or plateau | AHD/W7 | |
| altitude | n | height above ground | AHD/W7 | |
| alto | n | second highest voice/musical range | AHD/W7 | |
| altocumulus | n | a cirrus-like dark cloud | AHD/W7 | |
| altostratus | n | a fleecy, shaded, globular cloud | AHD/W7 | |
| altricial | adj | bearing helpless young | AHD/W7 | |
| alumnus | n | graduate of a school or college | AHD/W7 | |
| coalesce | vb.intrans | to merge, fuse | AHD/W7 | |
| elder | adj/n | older (person) | AHD/W7 | |
| eldest | adj/n | oldest (person) | AHD/W7 | |
| enhance | vb.trans | to augment, intensify | AHD/W7 | |
| exalt | vb | to raise on high with honor | AHD/W7 | |
| haughty | adj | disdainfully proud | AHD/W7 | |
| hautboy, hautbois | n | oboe | AHD | |
| hawser | n | rope for ship towing | AHD/W7 | |
| old | adj | aged, ancient | AHD/W7 | |
| Oldbuck | prop.n | hobbit surname in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| Orald | prop.n | a.k.a. Tom Bombadil in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| proletarian | n | belonging to the lower class | AHD/W7 | |
| proliferate | vb | to grow/multiply rapidly | AHD | |
| proliferous | adj | reproducing freely via buds/branches | AHD | |
| prolific | adj | fertile, abundant | AHD/W7 | |
| Scots English: | auld | adj | old | W7 |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | ald | adj | old | GED |
| warld, wrald | n.fem | world | ASD | |
| Frisian: | aod, aud, oad | adj | old | ASD |
| Dutch: | onder-dom | n | lifetime | ASD |
| oud | adj | old | ASD | |
| ouder | n | elder, parent | TLL | |
| Old Saxon: | ald | adj | old | GED |
| aldar | n.str.neut | age | GED | |
| eldī | n.str.fem | age | GED | |
| wer-old | n.str.fem | world, men; era, lifetime | GED | |
| Old High German: | alt | adj | old | GED |
| altar | n.str.neut | age | GED | |
| alt-duam | n.str.masc/neut | old age | GED | |
| altī | n.str.fem | age | GED | |
| altiro | adj.comp | older | GED | |
| alt-tuom | n.str.masc/neut | old age | GED | |
| eltī | n.str.fem | age | GED | |
| ur-alt | adj | very old | ASD | |
| wer-alt | n.str.fem | world; era | GED | |
| Middle High German: | alt | adj | old | ASD |
| alter | n.neut | age | ASD | |
| German: | alt | adj | old | ASD |
| Alter | n.neut | age | LRC | |
| Elter | n.masc | elder, parent | LRC | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | ala | vb.str | to bear, beget, give birth to; feed | LRC |
| elska, elskað | vb | to love | LRC | |
| ǫld | n.fem | age; mankind; world | LRC | |
| Old Icelandic: | ala | vb.str | to beget | GED |
| aldinn | adj | aged | GED | |
| aldr | n.masc | age, time of life | GED | |
| elli | n.fem | age | GED | |
| ellri | adj.comp | older | GED | |
| ver-ǫld | n.str.fem | world; era | GED | |
| ældri | adj.comp | older | GED | |
| ællri | adj.comp | older | GED | |
| ǫld | n.fem | age | GED | |
| Icelandic: | aldr | n.masc | age, life, period | ASD |
| ver-öld | n.fem | world | ASD | |
| Norwegian: | elja | vb | to fatten | GED |
| Danish: | alder | n.masc/fem | age | ASD |
| forælder | n | parent | TLL | |
| Swedish: | förälder | n | parent | TLL |
| ålder | n.masc | age | ASD | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | *alan | vb.str.VI | to grow | GED |
| *aldomo | n.masc/neut | old age | GED | |
| *alds | n.fem | age, generation | GED | |
| *aljan | vb.wk.I.caus | to fatten | GED | |
| alþeis | adj | old | GED | |
| alþiza | adj.comp | older | GED | |
| *fram-aldrs | adj | aged | GED | |
| *us-alþans | ptc.past.ua.adj | silly | GED | |
| Crimean Gothic: | alt | adj | old | GED |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | aboleo, abolēre | vb | to destroy, abolish | W7 |
| abolēsco, abolēscere | vb | to decay, disappear gradually | W7 | |
| adolescens, adolescentis | adj | adolescent | W7 | |
| adolēscō, adolēscere | vb | to grow up | GED | |
| adultus | adj | adult, mature, grown up | GED | |
| alēsco, alēscere | vb | to grow, flourish | GED | |
| alibilis | adj | alible | AHD | |
| alimentum | n.neut | aliment | W7 | |
| alimonia | n.fem | sustenance, nourishment | W7 | |
| alō, alere, altus | vb | to nourish | GED | |
| althea | n | althaea | AHD | |
| altitudo | n.fem | height, depth | W7 | |
| altor | n.masc | one who nourishes | W7 | |
| altrix, altricis | n.fem | one who nourishes | W7 | |
| altus, alta, altum | adj | high, deep | LRC | |
| alumnus, alumna | n.masc/fem | nursling, foster-child | W7 | |
| coalesco, coalescere | vb | to unite | W7 | |
| exalto, exaltare | vb | to exalt | W7 | |
| prōlēs | n.fem | offspring, progeny, descendants | GED | |
| proletarius | adj | re: common people | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | altio, altiare | vb | to pull high | W7 |
| inaltio, inaltiare | vb | to enhance, make higher/bigger | W7 | |
| New Latin: | altocumulus | n.masc | altocumulus: type of cloud | W7 |
| altostratus | n.masc | altostratus: type of cloud | W7 | |
| American Spanish: | altiplano | n.masc | plateau | W7 |
| Old French: | abolir | vb | to destroy, abolish | AHD |
| adolescent | adj | adolescent | AHD | |
| enhaucier | vb | to enhance | W7 | |
| hautbois | n | hautbois | AHD | |
| Anglo-French: | enhauncer | vb | to enhance | W7 |
| hauceour | vb | to hoist | W7 | |
| Middle French: | abolir, abolisse | vb | to destroy, abolish | W7 |
| exalter | vb | to exalt | W7 | |
| haucier | vb | to hoist | W7 | |
| haut | adj | high | W7 | |
| French: | adolescent | n.masc | youth, adolescent | W7 |
| hautbois | n | hautboy | AHD | |
| prolifique | adj | prolific | W7 | |
| Italian: | alto | adj | high, deep | W7 |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Hesychius' Greek Lexicon: | ἀλτρός | n | payment | GED |
| Greek: | ἀλθαίνω | vb | to heal | GED |
| ἄν-αλτος | adj | insatiable | GED | |
| νεᾱλής | adj | fresh, strong | GED | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | an-alas | n | fire, god of fire | GED |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| I | = | class 1 |
| VI | = | class 6 |
| adj | = | adjective |
| caus | = | causative |
| comp | = | comparative |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| past | = | past (tense) |
| prop | = | proper |
| ptc | = | participle |
| str | = | strong (inflection) |
| trans | = | transitive |
| ua | = | used as |
| vb | = | verb |
| wk | = | weak (inflection) |
Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):
| Code | Citation | |
|---|---|---|
| AHD | = | Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000) |
| ASD | = | Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898) |
| GED | = | Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| MEV | = | J.R.R. Tolkien: A Middle English Vocabulary (1922) |
| OED | = | James A.H. Murray et al: The Oxford English Dictionary (1933) |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
