English
cisalpine
Cisalpine comes from Latin cisalpīnus, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcisalpīnus
- Englishearliest quotation 1564cisalpine
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-‘to grow, nourish’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcisalpīnus
- Englishearliest quotation 1564cisalpine
Earliest quotation: 1564, Erasmus, The Saiynges of Iulius Caesar: “[T]he ſaid floud of Rubicon diſſeuereth the Galle Ciſalpine…”
The story
Learned borrowing from Latin cisalpīnus (‘cisalpine’) + English -ine (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Cisalpīnus is derived from cis (‘on or to this or the near side of’) + Alpīnus (‘of or pertaining to the Alps, alpine’) (from Alpēs (‘Alps’) (ultimate etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (‘to grow; to nourish’), Celtic, or a pre-Roman Alpine substrate) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’)).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. The English word is analysable as cis- + Alpine.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’
as, all, old, else, adult, el, ultimate, element, ultra, alien, elder, ellen, alternate, alter, outrage, ou, altitude, qualification, alumni, altar, adolescent, alt, abolish, alias, alto, alum, proletariat, retaliate, auld, alimony, alibi, ulterior, parallax, altruism, alp, coalesce, exalt, foetal, althea, aad, 67 more
Today it means
adj On this side of the Alps (chiefly the south side where Rome is located).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / cisalpine