*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of alce

Learned borrowing from Latin alcē. Doublet of Alcis, Algiz, and elk.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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

An elk.

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

Learned borrowing from Latin alcē. Doublet of Alcis, Algiz, and elk.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Learned-borrowing mentionalcēla
  • Doublet mentionAlcisen
  • Doublet mentionAlgizen
  • Doublet mentionelken
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "lbor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "alcē"
      },
      "expansion": "Learned borrowing from Latin alcē"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Alcis",
        "3": "Algiz",
        "4": "elk"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Alcis, Algiz, and elk"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "alcē",
      "alce#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "Alcis",
      "Alcis#English"
    ],
    [
      "Algiz",
      "Algiz#English"
    ],
    [
      "elk",
      "elk#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An elk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "62c06b7ded0490ea53a4fcbac081e9fd6473b7b12733be6abbb01d461f1ed3e6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2d000173678607238ba3b504914ee58974b1dfeaa268b0356b86242c2c1a0244",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 163902
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A mythical beast resembling a griffin with no wings, often classified as a male griffin.

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

Possibly from Ancient Greek ἀλκή (alkḗ, “courage, prowess; guard, defense”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Borrowed-form mentionἀλκήgrc · courage, prowess; guard, defense
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ἀλκή",
        "t": "courage, prowess; guard, defense"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἀλκή (alkḗ, “courage, prowess; guard, defense”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ἀλκή",
      "ἀλκή#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A mythical beast resembling a griffin with no wings, often classified as a male griffin."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "recordId": "d2675824dbaa035f5498a89ea84c8828f33d65b1d3cc73dfd3e2ccdce602cea3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cb2eb13fec728008a6f3d5b380b22457d9d1e16bbab1b8039dece8b29055cc09",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 163903
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 alce →

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-YWxjZQ