alius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈa.li.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.li.us]^[1]

Forms

alius (feminine alia, neuter aliud); first/second-declension determiner (pronominal declension or non-pronominal declension)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *al-jo- (“another”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-io- (“another”).^[2] Wiktionary traces the PIE word to a root Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“beyond, other”).^[1] The neuter alid for aliud in Catullus is explained by de Vaan as a shortened form or as modelled on quid and id.^[2]

Cognate with Oscan allo, Umbrian arsir, Old Irish aile (“other”), Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”), Old Armenian այլ (ayl) and Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”).^[2] Its Proto-Germanic relative *aljaz gave English else.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Livius Andronicus onwards.^[2] Köbler's first source is Naevius (c. 235–200 BC).^[3] In Plautus a woman says she abandoned a baby and “another woman” picked it up.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its basic sense was “different in identity, other”, and repeated it marked contrasts, as alius … alius, “one … another”.^[4] It also meant an additional one, alius atque alius “one after another”, the rest of something, and something strange or new, as Cicero's “other ceremonies, other priests”.^[4] Used as a pronoun it meant another person or thing, and in the neuter something else, as Terence's “I fear I may believe one thing and report another”.^[4]

Latin used alius of more than two and alter of two, with some exceptions.^[5][6] Its derivatives include aliēnus “belonging to others”, aliquis “someone” and alter “the other”.^[2] English alien comes from aliēnus through Old French.^[7]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2][3]
• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[3]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of “another woman” and of other persons.^[4][3]
• 190–159 BC – Terence contrasts aliud with aliud, one thing with another.^[4][3]
• c. 1300 – English alien comes from its derivative aliēnus.^[7]

Meanings

Determiner

1. Other, different (in identity).^[4][1]
2. (repeated) alius … alius: one … another; some … others.^[4][1]
3. Additional, further, another.^[4]
4. alius atque alius: one after another, more and more.^[4]
5. The rest of, the other.^[4]
6. Strange, new, different from the familiar.^[4][1]
7. (as a pronoun) Another person, (neuter) something else.^[4][1]
8. (Medieval Latin) Second, alius ab, different from.^[8]

Word family

• abaliud
• alibī
• aliēnus
• aliōquī
• aliōrsum
• aliquantus
• aliquī
• aliquis
• aliquot
• aliubī
• aliunde
• aliquilibet

Related words

• hic
• is
• quisque
• quispiam
• eiusmodī
• eiusdemmodī
• cuiusmodī
• cuiusmodīcumque
• cuiusvīsmodī
• cuiusquemodī
• alter
• English alien
• English else

Usage notes

Georges and Gaffiot note that alius refers to one of several, while alter is used of one of two.^[5][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill