English
alto
Alto comes from Italian alto ‘high’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*altosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltus‘high’
- Italianc. 1300–presentalto‘high’
- Englishtodayalto
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eltósreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*altosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltus‘high’
- Italianc. 1300–presentalto‘high’
- Englishtodayalto
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’
as, all, else, el, element, adult, ultimate, ellen, alien, ultra, outrage, ou, qualification, alternate, alumni, adolescent, abolish, alter, alpine, alias, proletariat, retaliate, alum, alimony, alibi, ulterior, parallax, alp, altruism, coalesce, aad, foetal, althea, withal, 64 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós
old, elder, auld, eld, 14 more
through Latin altus ‘high’
altitude, altar, haughty, haut, altimeter, exalt, 13 more
through Italian alto ‘high’
Today it means
noun A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / alto