alius
Pronunciation
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
- Other, different (in identity).[4][1]
- (repeated) alius … alius: one … another; some … others.[4][1]
- Additional, further, another.[4]
- alius atque alius: one after another, more and more.[4]
- The rest of, the other.[4]
- Strange, new, different from the familiar.[4][1]
- (as a pronoun) Another person, (neuter) something else.[4][1]
- (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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ 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
- ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
- ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill