English word origin

Etymology of el

From Middle English, from Old English el, from Latin el (the name of the letter L).

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

The name of the Latin script letter L/l.

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

From Middle English, from Old English el, from Latin el (the name of the letter L).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionelang
Derivation mentionella

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "el"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English el"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "el",
        "pos": "the name of the letter L"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin el (the name of the letter L)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    ],
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      "el",
      "el#Latin"
    ]
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The name of the Latin script letter L/l."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

num

The cardinal number occurring after dek and before do in a duodecimal system. Written ↋, decimal value 11.

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

Shortening of eleven.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
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      "eleven#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "num",
      "glosses": [
        "The cardinal number occurring after dek and before do in a duodecimal system. Written ↋, decimal value 11."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "ed4463904eb6a2026b56c8c62fb036ef4a82952c1dfcbf7689d382032ca05231",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

article

The (sometimes where "the" would not occur in normal English).

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

Borrowed from Spanish el.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentioneles

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "bor+",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "es",
        "3": "el"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Spanish el"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "el",
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "article",
      "glosses": [
        "The (sometimes where \"the\" would not occur in normal English)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "humorous",
        "informal"
      ],
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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 el →

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-ZWw