English word origin

Etymology of alt

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós Proto-Italic *altos Latin altusbor. English alt From Latin altus (“high”). Doublet of old and alto.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Of a voice or instrument, high pitch; especially, the octave above the top line of the treble stave. · A state of excitement, a heightened emotional condition.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionaltusla · high
Doublet mentionolden
Doublet mentionaltoen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "la:altus<id:adjective>",
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        "tree": "+"
      },
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      },
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    }
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      "*-tós",
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    ],
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      "*altos",
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    ],
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      "altus",
      "altus#Latin:_adjective"
    ],
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      "altus",
      "altus#Latin"
    ],
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      "old",
      "old#English"
    ],
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      "alto",
      "alto#English"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Clipping of alternate. · Clipping of alternative, especially as a cultural phenomenon seen as being outside the mainstream of its genre.

noun

Clipping of altitude. · An alternate or secondary account. · An alternate account. · An alternative investment or alternative fund.

verb

To use an alternate or secondary account.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviations.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Synonym of altbier.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from German Alt.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for alt →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YWx0