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alphabetical

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Etymology and origin of the English word alphabetical

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1543 John Bale, Yet a Course at the Romish Fox
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ἄλφα,βῆτα
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin alphabetum
English alphabet
English alphabetical

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌæl.fəˈbɛt.ɪ.kəl/[1]
  • US: /ˌælfəˈbɛtɪkəl/[1]

Etymology

Etymonline takes it as formed from English alphabet + -ical,[2][3] while the OED derives it from Medieval Latin alphabēticus with the English suffix -al.[4] The Latin adjective, recorded before 1513, is from alphabētum (“alphabet”),[4] which is compounded of the names of the first two Greek letters, Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha) and βῆτα (bêta).[5][2] French has alphabétique, in the sense "in alphabetical order" from the 15th century.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet: 1543, on the title page of John Bale's Yet a Course at the Romish Fox.[4] Etymonline dates it to the 1560s.[2]

Semantic evolution

From 1578 the word also meant relating to or using an alphabet, as opposed to syllables or pictures;[4] Milton used it in 1643 for "literal, strict", a rare figurative sense.[4] The shorter alphabetic followed in the 1640s,[2] and Collins treats the two as variants.[6]

Timeline

  • 1543 – arranged in alphabetical order.[4]
  • 1578 – relating to or using an alphabet.[4]
  • 1643 – figuratively, literal, strict, in Milton.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Arranged in the usual order of the letters of an alphabet: The guests' names were listed in alphabetical order.[6][4]
  2. Of, relating to or written with an alphabet, rather than syllabic signs or pictograms.[6][4]

Word family

  • alphabetically
  • nonalphabetical
  • prealphabetical
  • unalphabetical

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Alphabetical.” Etymologically, 1 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/alphabetical. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·