Etymograph

English

altitude

Altitude comes from Latin altitūdō ‘height’, from altus ‘high’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘grow, nourish’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘grow, nourish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*altosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltus‘high’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltitūdō‘height’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609altitude

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘grow, nourish’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*altosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltus‘high’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltitūdō‘height’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609altitude

Earliest quotation: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “He is [proud] even to the altitude of his…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘grow, nourish’

as, all, else, adult, el, element, ultimate, alien, ellen, ultra, outrage, ou, alternate, alumni, qualification, alter, adolescent, abolish, alpine, alias, alum, proletariat, retaliate, alimony, alibi, alp, ulterior, parallax, altruism, coalesce, foetal, aad, althea, withal, 64 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós

old, elder, auld, eld, 14 more

through Latin altus ‘high’

altar, alt, alto, haughty, haut, exalt, altimeter, 13 more

Today it means

noun The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / altitude

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