*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ell

From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *alinu, from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Prot

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

A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm.

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

From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *alinu, from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l-én-eh₂, from *Heh₃l- (“elbow, forearm”). Cognate with Dutch el (“ell”), German Low German Ell (“ell”), German Elle (“ell”), Swedish aln (“cubit; ell”), Icelandic alin (“cubit; ell”), Latin ulna (“forearm”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*Heh₃l-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionelleenm
  • Inherited-form mentionelnang
  • Inherited-form mention*alinugmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*alinōgem-pro
  • Cognate mentionelnl
  • Cognate mentionEllede
  • Cognate mentionalnsv
  • Cognate mentionalinis
  • Cognate mentionulnala
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Heh₃l-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "elle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English elle"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "eln",
        "4": "",
        "5": "the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*alinu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *alinu"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*alinō"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *alinō"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "",
        "4": "*Heh₃l-én-eh₂"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l-én-eh₂"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "el",
        "3": "",
        "4": "ell"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch el (“ell”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "Ell",
        "3": "",
        "4": "ell"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German Ell (“ell”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Elle",
        "3": "",
        "4": "ell"
      },
      "expansion": "German Elle (“ell”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "aln",
        "3": "",
        "4": "cubit; ell"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish aln (“cubit; ell”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "alin",
        "3": "",
        "4": "cubit; ell"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic alin (“cubit; ell”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ulna",
        "3": "",
        "4": "forearm"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ulna (“forearm”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "elle",
      "elle#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "elne",
      "elne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "eln",
      "eln#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*alinu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/alinu"
    ],
    [
      "*alinō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/alinō"
    ],
    [
      "*Heh₃l-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Heh₃l-"
    ],
    [
      "el",
      "el#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Ell",
      "Ell#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Elle",
      "Elle#German"
    ],
    [
      "aln",
      "aln#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "alin",
      "alin#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "ulna",
      "ulna#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ],
      "recordId": "4046734283724a0c7b1a36ce8870b718912612ecd2cc6b9cc35da3539079a30f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "16bccc68eaf58ac9302e8f819000fd4e3b2cec02c5e36fbf455a4e0d64e94008",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 229559
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

The name of the Latin script letter L/l. (more commonly el) · An extension usually at right angles to one end of a building. · Something that is L-shaped.

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

From the name of the letter L (late 18th century).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "L",
      "L#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The name of the Latin script letter L/l. (more commonly el)",
        "An extension usually at right angles to one end of a building.",
        "Something that is L-shaped."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "9c5b77c3041d162bbb01b2f0c2ba8fdc2b9c814789c682364eff66e774aaca4f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4b9a6ab0cbf9d9b1fccfdc16fae71622827c9afac796a1c4401eec4cb4473843",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 229560
    }
  ],
  "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 ell →

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-ZWxs