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. Any life form of extraterrestrial or extradimensional origin.
   • 2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, OCLC 865290061, PC, scene: Hello from the Reds:

     You might not have much use for me. You spend too much time with the damn aliens, pretending your time in the gangs back on Earth never happened. I know you weren't happy when I found you at the Citadel a couple years back.
     But I'm glad you're on this. I hope you find whoever took my people on Freedom's Progress and kick their scaly asses. I'm glad it's a human finding these bastards.

2. A person, animal, plant, or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration.
3. 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.

4. One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Ephesians 2:12, column 2:

     […] aliens from the common wealth of Iſrael […]

Synonyms

• (person, etc. from outside): fremd (rare, chiefly dialectal), guest, stranger
• (foreigner): outlander; see also Thesaurus:foreigner
• (life form of extraterrestrial origin): 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)
• Azerbaijani: gəlmə
• 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) m, vreemdelinge f
• Esperanto: alilandano, fremdulo
• 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)
• Indonesian: orang asing (id)
• Italian: straniero (it) m
• Japanese: 余所者 (ja) (yosomono)

• Korean: 외국인(外国人) (ko) (oegugin), 이국인(異国人) (igugin)
• Latin: peregrīnus m, aliēnus (la) m
• Macedonian: вонземјанин m (vonzemjanin)
• Maori: tarutawhiti, tautangata
• Middle English: alien
• Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭥𐭲𐭪‎ (ʾnʿtk /anōdag/)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: fremmed (no) m

• Polish: obcy (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: estranho (pt) m
• Romanian: străin (ro) m, străină (ro) 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:

  Cyrillic: изванзема́љац m, свеми́рац m

  Roman: izvanzemáljac (sh) m, svemírac (sh) m

• Spanish: desconocido (es) m, desconocida (es) f, advena
• Swedish: främling (sv) c
• Tctar: ят (yat), чит (tt) (çit)
• Turkish: yabancı (tr)
• Ukrainian: чужи́нець m (čužýnecʹ), чужи́й m (čužýj), прибу́лець m (prybúlecʹ)
• Urdu: اجنبی‎ (ur) m (ajnabī)

foreigner

• Albanian: huaj (sq) ? (i/e)
• Arabic: أَجْنَبِيّ‎ m (ʾajnabiyy)
• Azerbaijani: xarici (az), əcnəbi (az)
• 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) m, allochtoon (nl) m, vluchteling (nl) m, vluchtelinge (nl) f
• Esperanto: alilandano, fremdulo
• Finnish: muukalainen (fi), ulkomaalainen (fi), vierasmaalainen
• French: étranger (fr) m, étrangère (fr) f
• Galician: estranxeiro (gl) 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) (gaikokujin), 外人 (ja) (gaijin) (colloquial), 異邦人 (ihōjin)
• Korean: 외국인(外国人) (ko) (oegugin), 이국인(異国人) (igugin)
• Latin: peregrīnus m, aliēnus (la) m
• Maori: tarutawhiti, tautangata
• Middle English: alien
• Persian: خارجی‎ (fa) (xâreji)
• Polish: cudzoziemiec (pl) m pers, obcokrajowiec (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: estrangeiro (pt) m, forasteiro (pt) m
• Romanian: străin (ro) m, străină (ro)
• 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:

  Cyrillic: стра́нац m, туђи́нац m

  Roman: stránac (sh) m, tuđínac (sh) m

• Spanish: extranjero (es) m, extranjera (es) f
• Swedish: utlänning (sv) c
• Thai: ฝรั่ง (th) (fà-ràng)
• Turkish: yabancı (tr), ecnebi (tr)
• Ugaritic: 𐎐𐎋𐎗 (nkr)
• Ukrainian: інозе́мець m (inozémecʹ), чужозе́мець m (čužozémecʹ)
• Vietnamese: người nước ngoài, người ngoại quốc

life form of non-Earth origin

• Albanian: jashtëtokësor (sq) ?
• Arabic: فَضَائِيّ‎ ? (faḍāʾiyy)
• Armenian: այլմոլորակային (hy) (aylmolorakayin)
• Azerbaijani: yadplanetli (az)
• Belarusian: іншапланеця́нін m (inšaplanjecjánin), іншапланеця́нка f (inšaplanjecjánka), чужапланеця́нін m (čužaplanjecjánin), чужапланеця́нка f (čužaplanjecjánka)
• Bulgarian: извънземен (bg) m (izvǎnzemen)
• Catalan: extraterrestre (ca) m or 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: ruimtewezen (nl) n, alien (nl) m
• Esperanto: aliplanedano, eksterterulo, eksterterano
• Faroese: rúmdarvera f
• Finnish: avaruusolento (fi)
• French: extraterrestre (fr) m, alien (fr) m
• Galician: extraterrestre (gl) m
• Georgian: უცხოპლანეტელი (ucxoṗlaneṭeli), უცხოპლანეტური (ucxoṗlaneṭuri)
• German: Außerirdischer (de) m, Außerirdische (de) f, Alien (de) m or n
• Greek: εξωγήινος (el) m (exogíinos)
• Hebrew: חיזר‎ (he) m (ḥayzár), חוּצָן‎ (he) m (ḥutsán)
• Hungarian: földönkívüli (hu), űrlakó, űrlény
• Icelandic: geimvera (is) f
• Ido: extraterano

• Indonesian: makhluk luar angkasa
• Irish: eachtrán m
• Italian: extraterrestre (it) ?, alieno (it) ?
• Japanese: 宇宙人 (ja) (uchūjin), 異星人 (iseijin)
• Korean: 우주인(宇宙人) (ko) (uju'in)
• Malay: makhluk asing (ms)
• Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭥𐭲𐭪‎ (ʾnʿtk /anōdag/)
• Navajo: yótʼááh dineʼé dootłʼizhígíí
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: romvesen n

  Nynorsk: romvesen ?

• Polish: obcy (pl) m pers, kosmita (pl) m pers, istota pozaziemska f, ufoludek (pl) m pers, zielony ludzik (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: alienígena (pt) m, extraterrestre (pt) m or f, alien (pt) m
• Romanian: extraterestru (ro) m, extraterestră (ro) f
• Russian: инопланетя́нин (ru) m (inoplanetjánin), инопланетя́нка (ru) f (inoplanetjánka), инопланетя́не pl (inoplanetjáne), прише́лец (ru) m (prišélec)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ванзема́љац m, изванзема́љац m, свеми́рац m

  Roman: vanzemáljac (sh) m, izvanzemáljac (sh) m, svemírac (sh) m

• Spanish: extraterrestre (es) m or f, alienígena (es) m or f
• Swedish: utomjording (sv) c, utomjordling c, rymdvarelse (sv) c
• Thai: มนุษย์ต่างดาว (th) (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)
• Vietnamese: người ngoài hành tinh

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

   • 1850, William Wordsworth, The Prelude

     An alien sound of melancholy.

3. Pertaining to extraterrestrial life; typical of an extraterrestrial creature.
   • 1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 8:

     It had a peculiar alien tallness, a peculiar alien flattened head, peculiar slitty little alien eyes[.]

Synonyms

• allotrious

Translations

not belonging to the same country

• Bulgarian: чужд (bg) (čužd), чуждестранен (bg) (čuždestranen)
• Danish: udenlandsk (da)
• Dutch: buitenlands (nl), allochtoon (nl)
• Esperanto: alilandano
• Finnish: vierasmaalainen
• French: étranger (fr)
• Galician: estranxeiro (gl) m, estranxeira f
• Greek: ξένος (el) (xénos)

  Ancient: ξένος (xénos), ἀλλότριος (allótrios)

• Indonesian: asing (id)
• Japanese: 外来の (ja) (gairai no), 外国の (ja) (gaikoku no)

• Latin: aliēnus (la), peregrīnus
• Middle English: alien
• Portuguese: alienígena (pt)
• Romanian: străin (ro)
• 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
• Dutch: vreemd (nl)
• Esperanto: fremda (eo)
• Finnish: vieras (fi)
• Galician: estraño (gl) m, estraña f

• German: fremd (de), fremdartig (de)
• Greek: ξένος (el) (xénos)
• Indonesian: pendatang baru
• Japanese: 相容れない (ja) (aiirenai), 異質な (ja) (ishitsu na)
• Latin: aliēnus (la)
• Portuguese: alheio (pt)
• Romanian: nefamiliar
• Scottish Gaelic: coimheach
• Spanish: ajeno (es), alienígeno (es)

pertaining to extraterrestrial life

• Armenian: այլմոլորակային (hy) (aylmolorakayin)
• Catalan: alienígena, extraterrestre (ca)
• Dutch: buitenaards (nl)
• Esperanto: ekstertera
• Finnish: avaruusolio- (fi), avaruusolento- (fi), muukalainen (fi)
• French: extraterrestre (fr) m or f

• Galician: extraterrestre (gl) m or f
• German: außerirdisch (de)
• Italian: extraterrestre (it) m or f
• Norwegian: utenomjordisk m
• Portuguese: alienígena (pt), extraterrestre (pt) m
• Romanian: extraterestru (ro)
• 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

• Danish: ^{(please verify)} ikkejordisk
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} idegen (hu)

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} extraterala
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} makhluk luar angkasa
• Scottish Gaelic: ^{(please verify)} coimheach

Verb

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

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

Alternative forms

• aliene

Anagrams

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

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /əˈli.ən/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /aˈli.en/

Verb

alien

1. third-person plural present indicative form of aliar

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English alien (“stranger, foreigner”), from Middle English alien, from Old French alien, from Latin aliēnus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.li.ən/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ali‧en

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

1. An alien, an extraterrestrial.

   Synonym: ruimtewezen

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from English alien (“stranger, foreigner”), from Middle English alien, from Old French alien, from Latin aliēnus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ljɛn/

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

1. alien (extraterrestrial)

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus. Some forms (chiefly nominal) show assimilation to the suffix -ant.

Alternative forms

• alyon, alean, alyen, aliand, aliaund, aliant, alyant

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aːliˈɛːn/, /ˈaːliɛn/, /ˈaːliən/
• (with assimilation) IPA^(key): /ˈaːliant/, /ˈaːliau̯nt/

Noun

alien (plural aliens)

1. An outsider or foreign person, especially if resident in one's nation.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Joon 10:5, page 49v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     But þei ſuen not an alien · but fleen from hym .· foꝛ þei han not knowen þe vois of aliens

     But they don't follow a stranger; they'll flee from them instead, because they don't recognise strangers' voices.

2. One who is alien in some other way (e.g. religion, family)
3. (rare) An unlawful occupier or possessor of land.

Related terms

• alienacioun
• alienat
• alienen
• alienyng

 

Descendants

• English: alien
• Scots: alien, awlien

References

• “āliē̆n, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-02-25.

Adjective

alien (plural and weak singular aliene)

1. Outside, alien, foreign; from or relating to another nation.
2. Religiously outside; heretical, erring; of false religion or morals.
3. Distant, isolated, secure, away (from something)
4. (rare) Under the authority of other nation's religious institutions.
5. (rare) Not relating to or of oneself; not natural (to one's body).
6. (rare) Bizarre, weird, exotic.

Descendants

• English: alien
• Scots: alien, awlien

References

• “āliēn, ālien, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-02-25.

Etymology 2

From Old French alier.

Verb

alien

1. Alternative form of allien

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Old French

Etymology

From 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

Descendants

• → Middle English: alien, alyon, alean, alyen, aliand, aliaund, aliant, alyant
  • English: alien
  • Scots: alien, awlien

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Portuguese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Brazil) /ˈa.li.ẽj̃/, [ˈa.li.ẽɪ̯̃]

• IPA^(key): (Portugal) /ˈa.ljɛn/, [ˈa.ljɛn]

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

1. alien; extraterrestrial life form

   Synonyms: alienígena, ET, extraterrestre