English
alp
Alp comes from Latin Alpes ‘high mountains, especially those of Switzerland’, and perhaps goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, rise’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-1‘to grow, rise’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEAlpes2‘high mountains, especially those of Switzerland’
- Englishearliest quotation 1671alp2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin Alpes
- 2 Wiktionary, English alp
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes, […].: “Nor breath of Vernal Air from ſnowy Alp.”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-Wiktionary, Latin Alpes‘to grow, rise’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEAlpesWiktionary, English alp‘high mountains, especially those of Switzerland’
- Englishearliest quotation 1671alpWiktionary, English alp. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes, […].: “Nor breath of Vernal Air from ſnowy Alp.”
The story
Late Middle English, back-formation from alps pl, via French from Latin Alpes (‘high mountains, especially those of Switzerland’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, rise’
as, all, old, else, adult, el, ultimate, element, ultra, elder, ellen, alien, alternate, outrage, ou, qualification, altitude, alter, adolescent, alumni, abolish, altar, alt, alias, alto, proletariat, auld, ulterior, retaliate, alimony, alum, alibi, altruism, parallax, coalesce, aad, eld, altimeter, foetal, althea, 65 more
through Latin Alpes ‘high mountains, especially those of Switzerland’
Today it means
noun A very high mountain. Specifically, one of the Alps, the highest chain of mountains in Europe.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “alp”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin Alpes. 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- / alp