Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/alu

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From earlier *álut, from Pre-Germanic *álud, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elut- (“beer; ruddy”), a root of disputed interpretation and descendants. Cognate with Proto-Slavic *olъ, Old Armenian աւղի (awłi).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.lu/
• Rhymes: -ɑ.lu

Noun

*alu n

1. beer, ale

Inflection

The nominative singular lacks the final consonant of the stem. This preserves an old sound change from late PIE, where word-final *-t becomes *-d. According to Grimm's Law, *t shifted to *þ, and *d shifted to *t. Following this, word-final *-t was lost regularly.

Declension of *alu (neuter consonant stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	*alu	*aluþ
vocative	*alu	*aluþ
accusative	*alu	*aluþ
genitive	*aluþiz	*aluþǫ̂
dative	*aluþi	*aluþumaz
instrumental	*aluþē	*aluþumiz

Synonyms

• *beuzą

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *alu
  • Old English: ealu, alu, ealo, eala, eal- — in compounds, ealaþ, ealoþ, alaþ, alþ, aloþ, eoloþ, alþes — rare, genitive singular
    • Middle English: ale, ail
      • English: ale (see there for further descendants)

        Geordie: yel

      • Scots: yill, ale, aill, ayll
      • ⇒ Yola: aalhouse
    • ⇒ Old English: brȳdealu, brȳdealo
      • Middle English: brydale
        • English: bridal
        • Scots: brydale, brydal, brydel, brydell
  • Old Saxon: *alu, *alo
    • ⇒ Old Saxon: alufat, alofat
  • Old Dutch: *alu, *alo
    • Middle Dutch: āle
      • Dutch: aal
      • ⇒ Middle Dutch: godale, goedale
        • → Old French: godale
          • Middle French: goudale, godaille
            • French: godaille
  • Old High German: *alu, elo
    • ⇒? Middle High German: alschaf (“drinkware”)
    • ⇒ Old High German: *alufaz
• Proto-Norse: ᚨᛚᚢ (alu)
  • Old Norse: ǫl
    • Icelandic: öl
    • Faroese: øl
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: øl, ol
    • Old Swedish: øl
      • Swedish: öl
    • Old Danish: øl
      • Danish: øl
        • Norwegian Bokmål: øl, (nonstandard) øll
    • Elfdalian: öl
    • Old Gutnish: öl, ööl
      • Gutnish: öl
• >? Old Norse: ǫldr
• →? Proto-Finnic: *olut
  • Estonian: õlu
  • Finnish: olut
  • Ingrian: olut
  • Karelian: olut
  • Livonian: vȯl
  • Veps: olud
  • Votic: õlud
• →? Latvian: alus
• →? Ossetian: ӕлутон (æluton)