alien

See also: Alien and alíen

English

Alternative forms

• alyaunte (15th-16th centuries)

Etymology

From Middle English alien, a borrowing from Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus (“belonging to someone else, later exotic, foreign”), from Latin alius (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos. Related to English else.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.li.ən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

alien (plural aliens)

1. A person, animal, plant, or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration.
2. A foreigner residing in a country.
   • 1773, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the laws of England: in four books, fifth edition, page 372:

     An alien born may purchase lands, or other estates: but not for his own use; for the king is thereupon entitled to them.

   • 1831, John Marshall, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, U.S. Government:

     The counsel have shown conclusively that they are not a state of the union, and have insisted that individually they are aliens, not owing allegiance to the United States.

   • 1987, “Englishman in New York”, in …Nothing Like the Sun, performed by Sting:

     I'm an alien I'm a legal alien / I'm an Englishman in New York

   • 2004, Wesley Campbell, Stephen Court, Be a hero: the battle for mercy and social justice, Destiny Image Publishers, page 74:

     Aliens are aliens because of persecution or war or hardship or famine.

3. Any life form of extraterrestrial origin.
4. One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged.
   • Bible, Ephes. ii. 12

     Aliens from the common wealth of Israel.

Synonyms

• fremd (rare, chiefly dialectal)
• See also Thesaurus:extraterrestrial

Related terms

• alienage
• alienish
• alienlike
• space alien

Translations

person, etc. from outside

• Albanian: huaj (sq) (i/e)
• Arabic: غَرِيب‎‎ (ar) m (ḡarīb)
• Armenian: օտար (hy) (ōtar)
• Bulgarian: чуждене́ц (bg) m (čuždenéc), чужденка́ f (čuždenká)
• Catalan: estrany (ca) m, estranya (ca) f, foraster (ca) m, forastera (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 異客 (zh), 异客 (zh) (yìkè), 陌生人 (zh) (mòshēngrén)

• Czech: cizinec (cs) m
• Dutch: vreemdeling (nl)
• Esperanto: alilandano
• Finnish: muukalainen (fi)
• French: étranger (fr) m, étrangère (fr) f
• Galician: estraño (gl) m
• Georgian: უცხო (ucxo)
• German: Fremdling (de) m, Fremder (de) m, Fremde (de) f, Ausländer (de) m, Ausländerin (de) f
• Greek: ξένος (el) m (xénos)
• Hindi: अजनबी m (ajnabī)
• Hungarian: idegen (hu)
• Ido: stranjero (io)

• Italian: straniero (it) m
• Japanese: 外国人 (ja) (がいこくじん, gaikokujin), 外人 (ja) (がいじん, gaijin) (colloquial), 異国人 (いこくじん, ikokujin), 異邦人 (いほうじん, ihōjin)
• Korean: 외국인 (ko) (oegugin) (外国人 (ko)), 이국인 (igugin) (異国人)
• Latin: peregrinus, alienus (la)
• Macedonian: вонземјанин m (vonzemjanin)
• Maori: tarutawhiti, tautangata
• Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭥𐭲𐭪‎‎ (anōdag)
• Polish: obcy (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: estranho (pt) m
• Romanian: străin (ro) m, alien m, străină (ro) f, alienă f
• Russian: чужа́к (ru) m (čužák), прише́лец (ru) m (prišélec), незнако́мец (ru) m (neznakómec), незнако́мка (ru) f (neznakómka), посторо́нний (ru) m (postorónnij), посторо́нняя (ru) f (postorónnjaja)
• Scottish Gaelic: coigreach m, coimheach m
• Serbo-Croatian: izvanzemaljac (sh), svemirac (sh) m
• Spanish: desconocido (es) m, desconocida (es) f
• Swedish: främling (sv)
• Tatar: ят (yat), чит (tt) (çit)
• Turkish: yabancı (tr)
• Urdu: اجنبی‎‎ (ur) m (ajnabī)

foreigner

• Albanian: huaj (sq) (i/e)
• Arabic: أَجْنَبِيّ‎‎ m (ʾajnabiyy)
• Bulgarian: чуждене́ц (bg) m (čuždenéc), чужденка́ f (čuždenká)
• Catalan: foraster (ca) m, forastera (ca) f, estrany (ca) m, estranya (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 外國人 (zh), 外国人 (zh) (wàiguórén), 外人 (zh) (wàirén), 老外 (zh) (lǎowài) (colloquial)

• Czech: cizinec (cs) m
• Danish: udlænding (da) c
• Dutch: buitenlander (nl), allochtoon (nl), vluchteling (nl)
• Esperanto: alilandano
• Finnish: muukalainen (fi), ulkomaalainen (fi), vierasmaalainen
• French: étranger (fr) m, étrangère (fr) f
• Galician: estranxeiro m
• Georgian: უცხოელი (ucxoeli), უცხოტომელი (ucxoṭomeli)
• German: Fremder (de) m, Fremde (de) f, Ausländer (de) m, Ausländerin (de) f
• Greek: ξένος (el) m (xénos)
• Hebrew: זָר‎‎ (he) m (zár)
• Hindi: विदेशी (hi) (videśī), अन्यदेशीय (hi) (anyadeśīya)

• Hungarian: idegen (hu)
• Ido: stranjero (io)
• Italian: straniero (it) m, forestiero (it) m
• Japanese: 外国人 (ja) (がいこくじん, gaikokujin), 外人 (ja) (がいじん, gaijin) (colloquial)
• Korean: 외국인 (ko) (oegugin) (外国人 (ko)), 이국인 (igugin) (異国人)
• Latin: peregrinus, alienus (la)
• Maori: tarutawhiti, tautangata
• Persian: خارجی‎‎ (fa) (khâreji)
• Polish: cudzoziemiec (pl) m pers, obcokrajowiec (pl) m pers, obcy (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: estrangeiro (pt) m, forasteiro (pt) m
• Romanian: străin (ro) m, alien m, străină (ro), alienă f
• Russian: иностра́нец (ru) m (inostránec), чужезе́мец (ru) m (čužezémec), иноро́дец (ru) m (inoródec) (non-native)
• Scottish Gaelic: coigreach m, coimheach m, Gall m
• Serbo-Croatian: stranac (sh) m, tuđinac (sh) m
• Spanish: extranjero (es) m, extranjera (es) f
• Thai: ฝรั่ง (th) (fà-ràng)
• Turkish: yabancı (tr), ecnebi (tr)
• Vietnamese: người nước ngoài, người ngoại quốc

life form of non-Earth origin

• Albanian: jashtëtokësor (sq)
• Arabic: فَضَائِيّ‎‎ (faḍāʾiyy)
• Armenian: այլմոլորակային (hy) (aylmolorakayin)
• Belarusian: іншапланеця́нін m (inšaplanjecjánin), іншапланеця́нка f (inšaplanjecjánka), чужапланеця́нін m (čužaplanjecjánin), чужапланеця́нка f (čužaplanjecjánka)
• Bulgarian: извънземен (bg) (izvǎnzemen), извънземен (bg) (izvǎnzemen)
• Catalan: extraterrestre (ca) m, f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 外星人 (zh) (wàixīngrén), 宇宙人 (yǔzhòurén)

• Czech: mimozemšťan (cs) m, ufoun (cs) m (colloquial, humble)
• Danish: rumvæsen n, alien c
• Dutch: buitenaards (nl)
• Finnish: avaruusolento (fi)
• French: extraterrestre (fr), alien (fr) m
• Galician: extraterrestre (gl) m
• Georgian: უცხოპლანეტელი (ucxoṗlaneṭeli), უცხოპლანეტური (ucxoṗlaneṭuri)
• German: Außerirdischer (de) m, Außerirdische (de) f
• Greek: εξωγήινος (el) m (exogíinos)
• Hebrew: חייזר‎‎ m, חוּצָן‎‎ (he) m
• Hungarian: földönkívüli (hu)
• Ido: extraterano

• Irish: eachtrán m
• Italian: extraterrestre (it), alieno (it)
• Japanese: 宇宙人 (ja) (うちゅうじん, uchūjin), 異星人 (いせいじん, iseijin)
• Korean: 우주인 (ko) (uju-in) (宇宙人 (ko))
• Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭥𐭲𐭪‎‎ (anōdag)
• Navajo: yótʼááh dineʼé dootłʼizhígíí
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: romvesen

  Nynorsk: romvesen

• Polish: istota pozaziemska f, kosmita (pl) m pers, ufoludek (pl) m pers, zielony ludzik (pl) m pers, obcy (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: alienígena (pt) m, extraterrestre (pt) m, f, alien (pt) m
• Romanian: extraterestru (ro)
• Russian: инопланетя́нин (ru) m (inoplanetjánin), инопланетя́нка (ru) f (inoplanetjánka), инопланетя́не pl (inoplanetjáne), прише́лец (ru) m (prišélec)
• Serbo-Croatian: vanzemaljac (sh) m, izvanzemaljac (sh) m, svemirac (sh) m
• Spanish: extraterrestre (es), alienígena (es)
• Swedish: utomjording (sv) (utomjordling)
• Thai: มนุษย์ต่างดาว (má-nút-dtàang-daao)
• Turkish: uzaylı (tr)
• Ukrainian: іншопланетя́нин m (inšoplanetjányn), іншопланетя́нка f (inšoplanetjánka), чужопланетя́нин m (čužoplanetjányn), чужопланетя́нка f (čužoplanetjánka), інопланетя́нин m (inoplanetjányn), інопланетя́нка f (inoplanetjánka)

Adjective

alien (comparative more alien, superlative most alien)

1. Not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof; foreign.

   alien subjects, enemies, property, or shores

2. Very unfamiliar, strange, or removed.

   principles alien to our religion

   • (Can we date this quote?), Wordsworth, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     An alien sound of melancholy.

3. Pertaining to extraterrestrial life.

Translations

not belonging to the same country

• Danish: udenlandsk (da)
• Finnish: vierasmaalainen
• French: étranger (fr)
• Greek: ξένος (el) (xénos)

  Ancient: ξένος (xénos), *: Ancient: ἀλλότριος (allótrios)

• Indonesian: asing (id)

• Latin: alienus (la)
• Portuguese: alienígena (pt)
• Romanian: străin (ro) m, străină (ro) f
• Spanish: alienígena (es)
• Swedish: främmande (sv)
• Thai: ต่างประเทศ (th) (dtàang-bprà-têet), ต่างด้าว (th) (dtàang-dâao)

very unfamiliar, strange

• Armenian: օտար (hy) (ōtar)
• Catalan: aliè (ca), (Valencian) alié
• Danish: fremmedartet
• Esperanto: fremda (eo)
• Finnish: vieras (fi)
• German: fremd (de), fremdartig (de)

• Greek: ξένος (el) (xénos)
• Indonesian: pendatang baru
• Latin: alienus (la)
• Portuguese: alheio (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: coimheach
• Spanish: ajeno (es), alienígeno (es)

pertaining to extraterrestrial life

• Catalan: alienígena, extraterrestre (ca)
• Finnish: avaruusolio-, avaruusolento-, muukalainen (fi)
• German: außerirdisch (de)
• Norwegian: utenomjordisk m

• Portuguese: alienígena (pt)
• Romanian: extraterestru (ro) m, extraterestră (ro) f
• Spanish: alienígena (es), extraterrestre (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Armenian: ^{(please verify)} օտար (hy) (ōtar)
• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} чужд (bg) (čužd), чуждестранен (bg) (čuždestranen)
• Danish: ^{(please verify)} ikkejordisk
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} idegen (hu)

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} extraterala
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} makhluk luar angkasa
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} alien m, (1,2) ^{(please verify)} alienă f
• Scottish Gaelic: ^{(please verify)} coimheach

Verb

alien (third-person singular simple present aliens, present participle aliening, simple past and past participle aliened)

1. (transitive) To estrange; to alienate.
2. (law) To transfer the ownership of something.

Alternative forms

• aliene

Anagrams

• A-line, Aline, Elian, Elina, Nelia, aline, anile, elain, laine, liane, linea

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Catalan

Verb

alien

1. third-person plural present indicative form of aliar

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ljɛ̃/

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

1. alien (extraterrestrial)

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Old French

Etymology

Latin aliēnus.

Adjective

alien m (oblique and nominative feminine singular aliene)

1. alien; foreign; non-native
   • 11th century, La Vie de Saint Alexis, BNF manuscript 19525

     alienes terres

     foreign lands

Declension

Declension of alien

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	aliens	aliene	alien
	Oblique	alien	aliene	alien
Plural	Subject	alien	alienes	alien
	Oblique	aliens	alienes	alien

Noun

alien m (oblique plural aliens, nominative singular aliens, nominative plural alien)

1. alien (a non-native)

Declension

  Declension of alien  

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine
Singular	Subject	aliens	aliene
	Oblique	alien	aliene
Plural	Subject	alien	alienes
	Oblique	aliens	alienes

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Portuguese

Etymology

From English alien (“extraterrestrial life form”), from Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus (“foreign”), from alius (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈa.li.ẽj̃/

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

1. alien; extraterrestrial life form

Synonyms

• ET, extraterrestre, alienígena