English
allostasis
Allostasis comes from Ancient Greek ἄλλος ‘the other, all others, all besides, the rest’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-1‘beyond, other’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂élyos2‘other, another’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄλλος3állos‘the other, all others, all besides, the rest’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009allostasis3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἄλλος
- 3 Wiktionary, English allostasis
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Natalie Angier, Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop: “This system of so-called allostasis, of maintaining control through…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos‘beyond, other’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂élyosWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἄλλος‘other, another’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄλλοςWiktionary, English allostasisállos‘the other, all others, all besides, the rest’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009allostasisWiktionary, English allostasis. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Natalie Angier, Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop: “This system of so-called allostasis, of maintaining control through…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘beyond, other’
as, all, old, adult, el, ultimate, element, ultra, elder, alter, ellen, outrage, altitude, ou, qualification, alumni, alt, adolescent, alpine, altar, abolish, alto, alias, alum, alienation, auld, alimony, ulterior, alienate, proletariat, alp, retaliate, inalienable, coalesce, exalt, althea, aad, eld, altimeter, foetal, 57 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos ‘other, another’
else, alien, alternate, adultery, altercation, alibi, altruism, alternation, 31 more
through Ancient Greek ἄλλος ‘the other, all others, all besides, the rest’
Today it means
noun The process of achieving stability, or homeostasis, in the body, through physiological or behavioral change.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “allostasis”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos, Ancient Greek ἄλλος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / allostasis