alias

Forms

aliās (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is an adverb from alius (“other”), in form an old feminine accusative or genitive, like forās.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨alius⟩ to Proto-Italic *aljo- (“another”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos (“other”), cognate with Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”) and Old Irish aile (“other”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Asinaria: ut vōs, ut aliās, pariter nunc Mārs adiuvet, “that Mars may help you now as at other times”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is at another time, on other occasions, and Suetonius has it of “before” or “afterwards”, aliās … aliās is “at one time … at another”, as Plautus' man who asks now thirty minae, now a talent.^[2] From that it is in other cases, otherwise (Sallust: leisure and wealth, desirable otherwise, became a burden), and in Pliny the Elder “besides”, “else” and “all the same”.^[2] The jurists use it of place, “elsewhere”, and of manner, “in another way”.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “elsewhere, at another time, at other times”.^[5] English alias (mid-15th century), “otherwise called”, comes from its later sense “in another way”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of other times.^[2][4]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust in the sense “otherwise”.^[2][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder in the senses “besides” and “else”.^[2][4]
• 140–180 AD – Gaius in the sense “elsewhere”.^[2][4]
• mid-15th century – English alias.^[6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. At another time, at other times, aliās … aliās, at one time … at another.^[2][1][5]
2. In other cases, otherwise; besides; else; all the same.^[2][1]
3. Elsewhere; in another way.^[2][1][5]

Related words

• alius
• aliter
• alibī

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com