English
alumnus
Alumnus comes from Latin alumnus ‘foster child, nourished one’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to nourish, grow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-o-mh₁no-‘being nourished’reconstructedmediopassive participle of *h₂el-
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alomanosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalumnus‘foster child, nourished one’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to nourish, grow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-o-mh₁no-‘being nourished’reconstructedmediopassive participle of *h₂el-
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alomanosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalumnus‘foster child, nourished one’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to nourish, grow’
as, all, old, else, adult, el, ultimate, element, ultra, elder, alien, ellen, alternate, outrage, alter, ou, qualification, altitude, adolescent, altar, alt, abolish, alpine, alias, alto, proletariat, auld, retaliate, alimony, ulterior, alibi, alp, altruism, parallax, coalesce, foetal, exalt, aad, eld, althea, 67 more
Today it means
noun A male pupil or student.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / alumnus