English
alation
Alation comes from Latin alatus ‘winged’, from āla ‘wing’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- ‘axis’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱs-‘axis’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aksisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaxis‘an axletree of wagon, car, chariot’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*axlareconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāla‘wing’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEalatus‘winged’
- Englishearliest quotation 1940alation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱs-‘axis’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aksisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaxis‘an axletree of wagon, car, chariot’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*axlareconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāla‘wing’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEalatus‘winged’
- Englishearliest quotation 1940alation
Earliest quotation: 1940, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Collected Reprints: “Sculpture of strong wing-like structures or alations, initiated first…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- ‘axis’
through Proto-Italic *aksis
through Latin axis ‘an axletree of wagon, car, chariot’
through Latin āla ‘wing’
Today it means
noun The state of being winged.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- / alation