*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of alkyl

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor. Aramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor. Arabic كُحْل (kuḥl) Andalusian Arabic كُحُول (kuḥūl)bor. Medieval Latin alcoholbor. Middle English alcofol English alc(ohol) Proto-Indo-European *

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

Any of a series of univalent radicals of the general formula CₙH₂ₙ₊₁ derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons. In other words, an alkane minus one hydrogen atom.

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

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor. Aramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor. Arabic كُحْل (kuḥl) Andalusian Arabic كُحُول (kuḥūl)bor. Medieval Latin alcoholbor. Middle English alcofol English alc(ohol) Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. Frenchder. English -yl English alkyl From alc(ohol) + -yl.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "alcohol<alt:alc(ohol)>",
        "4": "-yl",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nAkkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor.\nAramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor.\nArabic كُحْل (kuḥl)\nAndalusian Arabic كُحُول (kuḥūl)bor.\nMedieval Latin alcoholbor.\nMiddle English alcofol\nEnglish alc(ohol)\nProto-Indo-European *swel-der.?\nAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der.\nFrenchder.\nEnglish -yl\nEnglish alkyl\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"transliteration\" : \"kuḥūl\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"antimony\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕\", \"id\" : \"antimony\", \"children\" : [ ], \"transliteration\" : \"guḫlum\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Akkadian\", \"term\" : \"guḫlum\", \"lang\" : \"akk\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"transliteration\" : \"kuḥlā\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Aramaic\", \"term\" : \"כוחלא\", \"lang\" : \"arc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"root\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"ك ح ل\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"root\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"كُحْل\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Andalusian Arabic\", \"term\" : \"كُحُول\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"xaa\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Medieval Latin\", \"term\" : \"alcohol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la-med\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"alcofol\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"alcohol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*swel-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ῡ̔́λη\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-yl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"alkyl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"alkyl\">\nFrom alc(ohol) + -yl."
    },
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      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "alcohol<alt:alc(ohol)>",
        "4": "-yl",
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        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nAkkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor.\nAramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor.\nArabic كُحْل (kuḥl)\nAndalusian Arabic كُحُول (kuḥūl)bor.\nMedieval Latin alcoholbor.\nMiddle English alcofol\nEnglish alc(ohol)\nProto-Indo-European *swel-der.?\nAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der.\nFrenchder.\nEnglish -yl\nEnglish alkyl\nFrom alc(ohol) + -yl."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕",
      "guḫlum#Akkadian:_antimony"
    ],
    [
      "כוחלא",
      "כוחלא#Aramaic:_antimony"
    ],
    [
      "كُحْل",
      "كحل#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "كُحُول",
      "كحول#Andalusian_Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "alcohol",
      "alcohol#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "alcofol",
      "alcofol#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "alc(ohol)",
      "alcohol#English"
    ],
    [
      "*swel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/swel-"
    ],
    [
      "ῡ̔́λη",
      "ὕλη#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "-yl",
      "-yl#English"
    ],
    [
      "alc(ohol)",
      "alcohol#English"
    ],
    [
      "-yl",
      "-yl#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any of a series of univalent radicals of the general formula CₙH₂ₙ₊₁ derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons. In other words, an alkane minus one hydrogen atom."
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 309065
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "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 alkyl →

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-YWxreWw