English
coalition
Coalition comes from Latin coalēscō ‘to unite together’, from alēscō ‘to rear, grow, grow up’, and ultimately from ālea ‘die’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEālea1‘die’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*aleō2‘be growing up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalēscō3‘to rear, grow, grow up’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoalēscō3‘to unite together’
- Medieval Latinmoderncoalitiō3
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600coalition3
- Englishearliest quotation 2013coalition3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin aleo
- 2 Wiktionary, Latin alesco
- 3 Wiktionary, English coalition
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2013, Sarah Lyall, British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Pa: “At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed…”.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEāleaWiktionary, Latin aleo‘die’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*aleōWiktionary, Latin alesco‘be growing up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalēscōWiktionary, English coalition‘to rear, grow, grow up’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoalēscōWiktionary, English coalition‘to unite together’
- Medieval LatinmoderncoalitiōWiktionary, English coalition
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600coalitionWiktionary, English coalition
- Englishearliest quotation 2013coalitionWiktionary, English coalition. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2013, Sarah Lyall, British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Pa: “At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed…”
Linked words
through Latin alēscō ‘to rear, grow, grow up’
through Latin coalēscō ‘to unite together’
Today it means
noun A temporary group or union of organizations, usually formed for a particular advantage.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “coalition”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin aleo, Latin alesco. 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 / Latin ālea / coalition