Etymograph

English

altitudinous

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

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to 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, lofty’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltitūdōas altitūdin-‘height’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2009altitudinous

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to 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, lofty’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltitūdōas altitūdin-‘height’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2009altitudinous

Earliest quotation: 2009, Cintra Wilson, An Uneasy Hug From Thom Browne: “STIFFLY If you’re a Brahmin-caste member of the American…”

Formed from -ous

Linked words

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

as, all, else, adult, el, element, ultimate, alien, ultra, ellen, alternate, alumni, alter, outrage, qualification, adolescent, ou, 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, lofty’

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

Today it means

adj Lofty; very high.

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

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

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