Etymograph

English

align

Align comes from Middle English alynen ‘copulate’, from Latin lineare ‘make straight or perpendicular’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *līnom.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*līnomreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīnum‘flax’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīneus‘flaxen’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElinea‘line’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElineare‘make straight or perpendicular’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400alignier
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600aligner
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500alynen‘copulate’
  9. Englishtodayalign

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*līnomreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElīnum‘flax’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElīneus‘flaxen’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElinea‘line’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElineare‘make straight or perpendicular’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400alignier
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600aligner
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500alynen‘copulate’
  9. Englishtodayalign

Linked words

through Latin līnum ‘flax’

leno, lint, 15 more

through Latin līneus ‘flaxen’

lingerie, lineal, 12 more

through Latin linea ‘line’

del, linear, lineage, delineate, linea, ligne, 13 more

through Middle French aligner

aline, 2 more

Today it means

verb To form a line; to fall into line.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *līnom / align

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