Etymologically
Log in

*h₂el-

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂el-

*h₂el-1 to nourish, raise

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV sets up *h₂el- "to nourish, raise".[1] De Vaan reconstructs the present *h₂el-e/o- and the participle *h₂l-to-,[2] Kroonen *h₂él-e-,[3] and Beekes the root *h₂el- "grow; make grow, feed".[4]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a thematic present *h₂él-e-, a causative *h₂ol-éi̯e- and, with doubt, a sigmatic aorist and a fientive *h₂l-éh₁/h₁-; the Gothic perfect it counts as an innovation.[1] The participles Latin altus and adultus continue *h₂l-to-, and alumnus a middle participle *h₂el-o-mh₁no- "feeding, being fed".[2] Kroonen calls the Germanic verb a strong verb to the PIE root.[3]

Evidence

The verb is found in Italic, Celtic and Germanic,[1] and Greek has the negative verbal adjective Ancient Greek ἄναλτος (ánaltos, “insatiable”).[4] LIV mentions possible traces in Indo-Aryan, among them a Sanskrit word for "fire".[1] ALEW derives the second part of Lithuanian atólas from the root.[5]

Meanings

  1. to nourish, to raise,[1] to make grow, to feed[4]
  2. to grow[4]

The Gothic participle "growing up" takes its sense from the middle.[1] Old Norse ala also means "to give birth to".[3]

Derivatives

  • *h₂l-to-: Latin altus, adultus.[2]
  • *h₂el-o-mh₁no-: Latin alumnus.[2]
  • A ti-abstract in the Old English genitive plural ælda (“of generations, of men”).[6]

Reflexes

  • Greek: Ancient Greek ἄναλτος (ánaltos, “insatiable”).[4]
  • Italic: Latin alō (“to suckle, nourish”).[2]
  • Celtic: Old Irish alid (“feeds, raises”).[7]
  • Germanic: Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽 (alan, “to grow up”), Old Norse ala (“to give birth to, nourish”).[3]
  • Baltic: Lithuanian atólas.[5]

*h₂el-2 other

Confidence
Probable

Reconstruction

Schrijver writes the root *h₂el- "other",[8] and Adams *hₐel- "other".[9] De Vaan reconstructs *h₂el-io- "another" and *h₂el-tero- "the other (of two)",[10] as do Beekes and Kroonen for *h₂el-io-.[11][12]

Morphology

Schrijver puts Latin ollus (“that one”), uls and ultrā with an o-grade *h₂ol-,[13] and derives ōlim (“at that time”) from a lengthened grade.[14]

Evidence

Greek, Italic, Germanic, Celtic, Armenian and Tocharian have *h₂el-io-.[11] Zair takes Old Irish ol (“beyond”) as cognate with Latin ultrā, and its connection with the word for "other" as probable.[15] Indo-Iranian has Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hania- instead, which Beekes explains as a blend of *h₂elio- with the comparative *h₂entero-.[11]

Meanings

  1. other[8][9]

Watkins glossed his corresponding root "beyond".[16]

Derivatives

  • *h₂el-io- "another".[10]
  • *h₂el-tero- "the other of two": Latin alter.[10]

Reflexes

  • Armenian: Old Armenian այլ (ayl, “other”).[17][11]
  • Greek: Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”).[11]
  • Italic: Latin alius (“another”).[10]
  • Celtic: Old Irish ol (“beyond; than”).[18]
  • Germanic: Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “someone else”).[12]
  • Tocharian: Tocharian B ālo (“otherwise”).[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *h₂el-
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. alō
  3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. ἄναλτος
  5. ^ a b Hock, Wolfgang, et al. (2015), Altlitauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (ALEW), online and Hamburg: Baar, p. s.v. atólas
  6. ^ Fortson, Benjamin W., IV (2010), Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Malden, MA / Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, p. ch. 15
  7. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 30
  8. ^ a b Schrijver, Peter (1991), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin, Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 51
  9. ^ a b c Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 59
  10. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. alius
  11. ^ a b c d e Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. ἄλλος
  12. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 23
  13. ^ Schrijver, Peter (1991), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin, Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 317
  14. ^ Schrijver, Peter (1991), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin, Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 53
  15. ^ Zair, Nicholas (2012), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 22
  16. ^ Watkins, Calvert (2000), "Indo-European Roots", appendix to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin, p. s.v. al-
  17. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 71
  18. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 307

Descendants

Cite this entry

“*h₂el-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*h%E2%82%82el-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·