alt

See also: Alt, alt-, atl, ált, and ált.

Languages (35)

Translingual • English

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

alt

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Southern Altai.
2. (computing) alternate key

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɔːlt/, /ɒlt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɑlt/, (altitude) /ælt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːlt, -ɒlt

Etymology 1

From Latin altus (“high”). Doublet of old and alto.

Noun

alt (uncountable)

1. (music) Of a voice or instrument, high pitch; especially, the octave above the top line of the treble stave. [from 16th c.]
   • 1762, George Colman, The Musical Lady:

     Sop[hy] Moderato! moderato! Madam. Your Ladyship's absolutely in alt. / L[ady] Scr[ape] In alt! Madam? / Sop[hy] Yes, in alt- Give me leave to tell your Ladyship, that you have raised your voice a full octave higher since you came into the room.

   • 1794, Mrs. Bennett (Agnes Maria), Ellen, Countess of Castle Howel: A Novel, volume 1:

     The duet was in alt; one stormed, the other half crying, half scolding, made up in volubility what her aunt possessed in authority, and it was not 'till Lady Meredith had twice raised her mild voice, either party could be silenced.

   • 1857, Anne Manning, Helen and Olga: a Russian tale, page 194:

     And he began, — "Poor insect! born to flutter and to die;" — falling into the second, directly Helen took the first, till he got down to such unreasonable bass that he suddenly gave a shriek in alt that made Olga stop her ears.

2. (now archaic) A state of excitement, a heightened emotional condition. [from 18th c.]
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, The History of Clarissa Harlowe: In a Series of Letters:

     I was, however, glad at my heart, that Mrs. Moore came up so seasonably with notice, that dinner was ready. The fair fugitive was all in alt. She had the game in her own hands; and by giving me so good an excuse for withdrawing, I had time to strengthen myself; the Captain had time to come; and the Lady to cool.

   • c. 1875, Charles James Lever, The Dodd Family Abroad:

     "Not," added she, as her eyes glittered with anger, and she sidled near the door for an exit—" not but, in the estimation of others, you may be quite an Adonis—a young gentleman of wit and fashion —a beau of the first water; I have no doubt Mary Jane thinks so— you old wretch!" This, in alt, and a bang of the door that brought down an oil picture that hung over it, closed the scene.

   • 1891, Douglas William Jerrold, Tales: now first collected, page 113:

     He had no wish to pry or listen; but if people would talk in alt, whilst he moved, like a mole, about his business, family matters would cleave the ear which, however it tried, could not be deaf.

   • 2011, Jo Beverley, “The Marrying Maid”, in Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love‎^[1], page 50:

     That lady was in alt at Loxsleigh's high station and had spent the morning making inquiries of her friends, which also allowed her to spread the word about her interesting new acquaintance.

Etymology 2

Abbreviations.

Adjective

alt (not comparable)

1. Clipping of alternate.

   alt key

   • 2021, Rhian Jones, Lucy Heyman, Sound Advice: The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy and Successful Career in Music‎^[2], Shoreditch Press, →ISBN:

     […] Adele, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Frank Ocean, Drake, and Ed Sheeran are among many artists who don't appear to spend a lot of time online (or if they do, it's using alt accounts).

2. Clipping of alternative, especially as a cultural phenomenon seen as being outside the mainstream of its genre.

   Synonym: alt- (prefix)

   alt medicine

   alt text

   • 2023 March 5, Miranda Sawyer, “Sleaford Mods: ‘The UK is like a crazy golf course – all we’ve got left are landmarks’”, in The Guardian‎^[3], →ISSN:

     Fearn is thoughtful and deeply alt (“I’ve always been an oddball”), less demonstrative but more confident.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:alt.

Derived terms

• alt fashion
• alt key
• alt lit
• alt text

Noun

alt (plural alts)

1. Clipping of altitude.
2. (Internet slang, gaming) An alternate or secondary account.
   • 1996, Jonobie D. Baker, “Survey of MUSHers.”, in rec.games.mud.tiny (Usenet):

     Of these alts, how many of them are a gender other than your own?

   • 2000, KaVir, “Code Bases - why release buggy crap?”, in alt.mud (Usenet):

     Yes, I have many alts, and no, none of the others have any unusual capitalisation.

3. (Internet slang) An alternate account.

   Hyponym: sock puppet

   You've been here four days and you already know about the incident from last year? You're such an obvious alt.

4. (finance) An alternative investment or alternative fund.

   liquid alts

5. (Internet slang, art) An alternate version of a piece of art, especially without much changes beyond a specific thing.
6. Ellipsis of alt text.

Derived terms

• altazimuth

Verb

alt (third-person singular simple present alts, present participle alting, simple past and past participle alted)

1. (Internet slang, gaming, intransitive) To use an alternate or secondary account.

   I got banned so I'm alting.

Etymology 3

From German Alt.

Noun

alt (plural alts)

1. Synonym of altbier.
   • 1999, Brian Glover, The Complete Guide to Beer, Barnes & Noble, →ISBN, page 146:

     Top-fermenting ales are still brewed, notably the alts of Düsseldorf and kölsches of Cologne.

   • 2000, Ray Daniels, Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles, Brewers Publications:

     On average, the mash temperatures used in the NHC second-round alts and kölschs were higher, at 153 °F (67 °C) and 151 °F (66 °C) respectively.

   • 2015, Mark Dredge, The Best Beer in the World: One Man’s Globe Search for the Perfect Pint, Dog ‘n’ Bone Books, →ISBN:

     In the last two days I have drunk 10 different beers in each city and feel the Kölsches were within a narrower flavor profile, being relatively similar to each other, whereas Alts had more range of aroma and flavor.

   • 2016, Tim Hampson, The 50 Greatest Beers of the World, Icon Books:

     Ale yeasts are often described as top fermenting, but top cropping would probably be a better description: the yeast ferments at all levels throughout the liquid, but once its work is done it collects at the top of the fermenting vessel (traditionally these vessels would have been open at the top). Family members include bitters, porters, stouts, alts and kölschs.

Anagrams

• ATL, Atl., LAT, LTA, Lat., TLA, Tal, lat, lat.

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• altu

Etymology

From Latin alter, alterum. Compare Romanian alt.

Adjective

alt m (f alte, m plural alts, f plural alti)

1. other

Azerbaijani

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɑɫt]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

alt (definite accusative altı, plural altlar)

1. lower part
2. bottom

Declension

Declension of alt

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	altlar
definite accusative	altı	altları
dative	alta	altlara
locative	altda	altlarda
ablative	altdan	altlardan
definite genitive	altın	altların

Possessive forms of alt

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altım	altlarım
sənin (“your”)	altın	altların
onun (“his/her/its”)	altı	altları
bizim (“our”)	altımız	altlarımız
sizin (“your”)	altınız	altlarınız
onların (“their”)	altı or altları	altları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altımı	altlarımı
sənin (“your”)	altını	altlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	altını	altlarını
bizim (“our”)	altımızı	altlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	altınızı	altlarınızı
onların (“their”)	altını or altlarını	altlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altıma	altlarıma
sənin (“your”)	altına	altlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	altına	altlarına
bizim (“our”)	altımıza	altlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	altınıza	altlarınıza
onların (“their”)	altına or altlarına	altlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altımda	altlarımda
sənin (“your”)	altında	altlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	altında	altlarında
bizim (“our”)	altımızda	altlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	altınızda	altlarınızda
onların (“their”)	altında or altlarında	altlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altımdan	altlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	altından	altlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	altından	altlarından
bizim (“our”)	altımızdan	altlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	altınızdan	altlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	altından or altlarından	altlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	altımın	altlarımın
sənin (“your”)	altının	altlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	altının	altlarının
bizim (“our”)	altımızın	altlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	altınızın	altlarınızın
onların (“their”)	altının or altlarının	altlarının

Derived terms

• altında (“under”)

Adjective

alt (comparative daha alt, superlative ən alt)

1. lower

   Antonym: üst

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin altus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈalt]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alt

Adjective

alt (feminine alta, masculine plural alts, feminine plural altes)

1. high

   Antonym: baix

2. tall

   Antonym: baix

Derived terms

• alt alemany
• Alt Empordà
• alta cuina
• altament
• altària
• altesa
• daltabaix
• pel cap alt

Related terms

• alçar
• altitud

Further reading

• “alt”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “alt”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “alt” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “alt” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• aod, auw (Kirchröadsj)
• oot (westernmost Ripuarian)

Etymology

From Middle High German alt, from Old High German ald, northern variant of alt. The variation between the stems alt and aal is due to the development -ald- → -āl-, which occurred only in open syllables.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alt/

Adjective

alt (masculine aale, feminine aal, comparative aaler or ääler or älder, superlative aalste or äälste or ältste)

1. (most dialects) old

   Von aale Löck ka’ mer noch jet liehre. ― There’s something to be learnt from old people.

   Dat aal Huus möt mer ens renoviere. ― That old house should be renovated sometime.

Usage notes

• The commoner comparation forms were originally aaler, et aalste. Today, those with umlaut are preferred due to influence of German älter, am ältesten.

Inflection

Inflection example for alt (Kölsch and central Ripuarian)

		masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
positive
predicative / adverbial		alt
common case	strong	aale	alt	aal
	weak		aal
	partitive	aales		—
dative case	initial	aalem		aaler	aale
	non-initial	aale
comparative
predicative / adverbial		ääler
common case	strong	äälere	ääler
	weak
	partitive	ääleres		—
dative case	initial	äälerem		äälerer	äälere
	non-initial	äälere
superlative
predicative / adverbial		et äälste
common case	strong	äälste
	weak
dative case	initial	äälstem		äälster	äälste
	non-initial	äälste
Strong (indefinite) and weak (definite) forms are distinguished in the neuter common case. The partitive form follows certain indefinite pronouns like jet (“something”). In the singular dative, there is a simpler distinction between “initial” and “non-initial” position, depending on whether the adjective is the first declined word of the noun phrase or not.

Related terms

• Eldere

Cimbrian

Etymology

From Middle High German alt, from Old High German alt, from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz. Cognate with German alt, Dutch oud, English old, Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (alþeis).

Adjective

alt (comparative éltor, superlative dar éltorste)

1. (most dialects) old, elderly

   an alta brau ― an elderly lady

   an altar mann ― an old man

   an altes baip ― an elderly wife

   an altes ménle ― a little old man

   alte lòite ― elderly people

   De belt ist alt. ― The world is old.

Declension

Positive forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		èar ist alt	zi ist alt	is ist alt	ze zèint alt
with definite article	nominative	dar alte	de alta	's alte	de alten
	accusative	in alten	de alta	's alte	de alten
	dative	me alten	dar alten	me alten	in alten
with indefinite article	nominative	an altar	an alta	an altes	(khòone) alten
	accusative	an alten	an alta	an altes	(khòone) alten
	dative	aname alten	anara alten	aname alten	(khòonen) alten
without article	nominative				alte
	accusative				alte
	dative				alten

Comparative forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		èar ist éltor	zi ist éltor	is ist éltor	ze zèint éltor
with definite article	nominative	dar éltore	de éltora	's éltore	de éltorn
	accusative	in éltorn	de éltora	's éltore	de éltorn
	dative	me éltorn	dar éltorn	me éltorn	in éltorn
with indefinite article	nominative	an éltorar	an éltora	an éltors	(khòone) éltorn
	accusative	an éltorn	an éltora	an éltors	(khòone) éltorn
	dative	aname éltorn	anara éltorn	aname éltorn	(khòonen) éltorn
without article	nominative				éltore
	accusative				éltore
	dative				éltorn

Superlative forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		èar ist dar éltorste	zi ist dar éltorsta	is ist dar éltorste	ze zèint dar éltorste
with definite article	nominative	dar éltorste	de éltorsta	's éltorste	de éltorsten
	accusative	in éltorsten	de éltorsta	's éltorste	de éltorsten
	dative	me éltorsten	dar éltorsten	me éltorsten	in éltorsten
with indefinite article	nominative	an éltorstar	an éltorsta	an éltorstes	(khòone) éltorsten
	accusative	an éltorsten	an éltorsta	an éltorstes	(khòone) éltorsten
	dative	aname éltorsten	anara éltorsten	aname éltorsten	(khòonen) éltorsten
without article	nominative				éltorste
	accusative				éltorste
	dative				éltorsten

Derived terms

• altekhot

Related terms

• galtar

References

• “alt” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974), Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Crimean Gothic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aldaz.

Adjective

alt

1. old
   • 1562, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Legationis Turcicae Epistolae Quatuor:

     Alt. Senex.

     Old. Old.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈalt]

Noun

alt m inan

1. alto

Declension

Declension of alt (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	alty
genitive	altu	altů
dative	altu	altům
accusative	alt	alty
vocative	alte	alty
locative	altu	altech
instrumental	altem	alty

Danish

Pronoun

alt

1. neuter singular of al

Daur

Noun

alt

1. gold

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from German Alt, ultimately from Latin altus. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑlt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: alt
• Rhymes: -ɑlt

Noun

alt m (plural alten, diminutive altje n)

1. alto (musical part)
2. alto (person or instrument)

Noun

alt f (plural alten, diminutive altje n)

1. a woman singing or playing the alto part

Usage notes

The word alt is feminine when it's used to indicate a woman singing or playing the alto part.

Derived terms

• altsleutel
• altstem
• altviool

Anagrams

• lat, tal

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse allr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [al̥t]

Pronoun

alt n (masculine allur, feminine øll)

1. all

Declension

Declension of alt (a12)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	allur	øll	alt
accusative	allan	alla	alt
dative	øllum	allari	øllum
genitive	als	allar	als
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	allir	allar	øll
accusative	allar	allar	øll
dative	øllum	øllum	øllum
genitive	alla	alla	alla

Adverb

alt

1. all

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin altus.

Adjective

alt

1. high

   Antonym: bas

Related terms

• alçâ
• altece

Noun

alt m (plural alts)

1. top, summit

German

Etymology

From Middle High German alt, from Old High German alt, from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz, from Proto-Indo-European *altós, *h₂eltós, from *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”). Compare Dutch oud, Low German old, West Frisian âld, English old. Doublet of Alt, a loanword from Italian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alt/, [ʔalt], /ɑlt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

alt (strong nominative masculine singular alter, comparative älter, superlative am ältesten)

1. old

   Wie alt bist du? ― How old are you?

2. ancient
3. elderly (inflected in the comparative)

   ältere Menschen ― the elderly

Declension

Positive forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist alt	sie ist alt	es ist alt	sie sind alt
strong declension (without article)	nominative	alter	alte	altes	alte
	genitive	alten	alter	alten	alter
	dative	altem	alter	altem	alten
	accusative	alten	alte	altes	alte
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der alte	die alte	das alte	die alten
	genitive	des alten	der alten	des alten	der alten
	dative	dem alten	der alten	dem alten	den alten
	accusative	den alten	die alte	das alte	die alten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein alter	eine alte	ein altes	(keine) alten
	genitive	eines alten	einer alten	eines alten	(keiner) alten
	dative	einem alten	einer alten	einem alten	(keinen) alten
	accusative	einen alten	eine alte	ein altes	(keine) alten

Comparative forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist älter	sie ist älter	es ist älter	sie sind älter
strong declension (without article)	nominative	älterer	ältere	älteres	ältere
	genitive	älteren	älterer	älteren	älterer
	dative	älterem	älterer	älterem	älteren
	accusative	älteren	ältere	älteres	ältere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der ältere	die ältere	das ältere	die älteren
	genitive	des älteren	der älteren	des älteren	der älteren
	dative	dem älteren	der älteren	dem älteren	den älteren
	accusative	den älteren	die ältere	das ältere	die älteren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein älterer	eine ältere	ein älteres	(keine) älteren
	genitive	eines älteren	einer älteren	eines älteren	(keiner) älteren
	dative	einem älteren	einer älteren	einem älteren	(keinen) älteren
	accusative	einen älteren	eine ältere	ein älteres	(keine) älteren

Superlative forms of alt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am ältesten	sie ist am ältesten	es ist am ältesten	sie sind am ältesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	ältester	älteste	ältestes	älteste
	genitive	ältesten	ältester	ältesten	ältester
	dative	ältestem	ältester	ältestem	ältesten
	accusative	ältesten	älteste	ältestes	älteste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der älteste	die älteste	das älteste	die ältesten
	genitive	des ältesten	der ältesten	des ältesten	der ältesten
	dative	dem ältesten	der ältesten	dem ältesten	den ältesten
	accusative	den ältesten	die älteste	das älteste	die ältesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein ältester	eine älteste	ein ältestes	(keine) ältesten
	genitive	eines ältesten	einer ältesten	eines ältesten	(keiner) ältesten
	dative	einem ältesten	einer ältesten	einem ältesten	(keinen) ältesten
	accusative	einen ältesten	eine älteste	ein ältestes	(keine) ältesten

Antonyms

• jung

Derived terms

• a. St.
• Alter n (“age”)
• Alter m (“old one; mate”), Alte f
• altern
• ältlich
• veralten

Related terms

• Älteste
• Ältester
• Eltern

See also

• abgenutzt
• betagt
• erfahren
• früher
• gewitzigt
• gewitzt, gewitz (literally “wits, wisdom”)
• vergangen
• verkalkt

Further reading

• “alt” in Duden online
• “alt” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “alt” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Hungarian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɒlt]
• Rhymes: -ɒlt

Noun

alt (countable and uncountable, plural altok)

1. contralto (female singer or voice)

   Coordinate terms: mezzoszoprán, szoprán

2. alto (vocal section)

   Coordinate terms: szoprán, tenor, basszus

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	altok
accusative	altot	altokat
dative	altnak	altoknak
instrumental	alttal	altokkal
causal-final	altért	altokért
translative	alttá	altokká
terminative	altig	altokig
essive-formal	altként	altokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	altban	altokban
superessive	alton	altokon
adessive	altnál	altoknál
illative	altba	altokba
sublative	altra	altokra
allative	althoz	altokhoz
elative	altból	altokból
delative	altról	altokról
ablative	alttól	altoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	alté	altoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	altéi	altokéi

Possessive forms of alt

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	altom	altjaim
2nd person sing.	altod	altjaid
3rd person sing.	altja	altjai
1st person plural	altunk	altjaink
2nd person plural	altotok	altjaitok
3rd person plural	altjuk	altjaik

Further reading

• alt in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• alt in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Ingrian

Spatial inflection of alt

↗︎○	allative	alle
○	adessive	al
○↘︎	ablative	alt

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alta. Cognates include Finnish alta.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈɑltɑ/, [ˈɑɫt]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlt/, [ˈɑɫd̥]
• (Hevaha) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlt/, [ˈɑɫd̥]
• Rhymes: -ɑlt
• Hyphenation: alt

Adverb

alt

1. (of motion) from underneath

Postposition

alt (+ genitive)

1. (of motion) from under
   • 1936, V. I. Junus, Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[4], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 136:

     Kissa tuli aitan alt.

     The cat came from under the storehouse.

Antonyms

• päält (“off”)

References

• V. I. Junus (1936), Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[5], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 136
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 11
• Arvo Laanest (1997), Isuri keele Hevaha murde sõnastik, Eesti Keele Instituut, page 19
• Olga I. Konkova; Nikita A. Dyachkov (2014), Inkeroin Keel: Пособие по Ижорскому Языку‎^[6], →ISBN, page 14

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al̪ˠt̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish alt (“joint, articulation”), from Proto-Celtic *ɸaltu- (“joint”), from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to fold”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌽 (falþan, “to fold”) and Ancient Greek πέπλος (péplos, “woven cloth”). The sense “article” is a semantic loan from Latin articulus, itself a semantic loan from Ancient Greek ἄρθρον (árthron).

Alternative forms

• allt (obsolete)

Noun

alt m (genitive singular ailt, nominative plural ailt)

1. (carpentry) joint; juncture
2. (anatomy) joint, knuckle
3. knot (in wood)

   Synonyms: cranra, dual

4. hillock
5. bit (of land, tobacco, etc.)
6. stumpy person
7. paragraph; section (of act, etc.)
8. (grammar, parts of speech, publishing) article; clause

Declension

Declension of alt (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative alt ailt vocative a ailt a alta genitive ailt alt dative alt ailt forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an t-alt na hailt genitive an ailt na n-alt dative leis an alt don alt leis na hailt

Quotations

• 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:

  tā alt m aurdōǵ ĺūntə.

  [Tá alt m’ordóige leonta.]

  The joint/knuckle of my thumb is sprained.

Derived terms

• alt an chromáin
• alt bacánach
• altach
• déadalt

Verb

alt (present analytic altann, future analytic altfaidh, verbal noun altadh, past participle alta)

1. (transitive) articulate, joint

Conjugation

conjugation of alt (first conjugation – A)

verbal noun	altadh
past participle	alta
tense	singular			plural			relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative
present	altaim	altann tú; altair†	altann sé, sí	altaimid	altann sibh	altann siad; altaid†	a altann; a altas / a n-altann*	altar
past	d'alt mé; d'altas / alt mé‡; altas‡	d'alt tú; d'altais / alt tú; altais‡	d'alt sé, sí / alt sé, sí‡	d'altamar; d'alt muid / altamar; alt muid‡	d'alt sibh; d'altabhair / alt sibh; altabhair‡	d'alt siad; d'altadar / alt siad; altadar‡	a d'alt / ar alt*	altadh; haltadh†
past habitual	d'altainn / altainn‡; n-altainn‡‡	d'altá / altá‡; n-altᇇ	d'altadh sé, sí / altadh sé, sí‡; n-altadh sé, s퇇	d'altaimis; d'altadh muid / altaimis; altadh muid‡; n-altaimis‡‡; n-altadh muid‡‡	d'altadh sibh / altadh sibh‡; n-altadh sibh‡‡	d'altaidís; d'altadh siad / altaidís; altadh siad‡; n-altaidís‡‡; n-altadh siad‡‡	a d'altadh / a n-altadh*	d'altaí / altaí‡; n-alta퇇
future	altfaidh mé; altfad	altfaidh tú; altfair†	altfaidh sé, sí	altfaimid; altfaidh muid	altfaidh sibh	altfaidh siad; altfaid†	a altfaidh; a altfas / a n-altfaidh*	altfar
conditional	d'altfainn / altfainn‡; n-altfainn‡‡	d'altfá / altfá‡; n-altfᇇ	d'altfadh sé, sí / altfadh sé, sí‡; n-altfadh sé, s퇇	d'altfaimis; d'altfadh muid / altfaimis‡; altfadh muid‡; n-altfaimis‡‡; n-altfadh muid‡‡	d'altfadh sibh / altfadh sibh‡; n-altfadh sibh‡‡	d'altfaidís; d'altfadh siad / altfaidís‡; altfadh siad‡; n-altfaidís‡‡; n-altfadh siad‡‡	a d'altfadh / a n-altfadh*	d'altfaí / altfaí‡; n-altfa퇇
subjunctive
present	go n-alta mé; go n-altad†	go n-alta tú; go n-altair†	go n-alta sé, sí	go n-altaimid; go n-alta muid	go n-alta sibh	go n-alta siad; go n-altaid†	—	go n-altar
past	dá n-altainn	dá n-altá	dá n-altadh sé, sí	dá n-altaimis; dá n-altadh muid	dá n-altadh sibh	dá n-altaidís; dá n-altadh siad	—	dá n-altaí
imperative
–	altaim	alt	altadh sé, sí	altaimis	altaigí; altaidh†	altaidís	—	altar

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis (except an)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian alto.

Noun

alt m (genitive singular ailt, nominative plural ailt)

1. (music) alto

Declension

Declension of alt (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative alt ailt vocative a ailt a alta genitive ailt alt dative alt ailt forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an t-alt na hailt genitive an ailt na n-alt dative leis an alt don alt leis na hailt

Derived terms

• altach

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• allt (obsolete)

Noun

alt f (genitive singular ailte, nominative plural altanna)

1. alternative form of ailt (“steep-sided glen; ravine”)

Declension

Declension of alt (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative alt altanna vocative a alt a altanna genitive ailte altanna dative alt ailt (archaic, dialectal) altanna forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an alt na haltanna genitive na hailte na n-altanna dative leis an alt leis an ailt (archaic, dialectal) don alt don ailt (archaic, dialectal) leis na haltanna

Mutation

Mutated forms of alt

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
alt	n-alt	halt	t-alt

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “alt”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 24
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “alt”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “alt”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “alt”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from German halt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalt/
• Rhymes: -alt
• Hyphenation: àlt

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

alt

1. stop!

Khalaj

Perso-Arabic		اَلت

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *ăl.

Pronunciation

• (Kharrab) IPA^(key): [a(ː)lt]

Noun

alt (definite accusative altı, plural altlar)

1. under, bottom
2. underside

   Synonyms: asra, ast

Declension

Declension of alt

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	altlar
genitive	altııñ	altlarııñ
dative	altqa	altlarqa
definite accusative	altı	altları
locative	altça	altlarça
ablative	altda	altlarda
instrumental	altla	altlarla
equative	altvâra	altlarvâra

References

• Doerfer, Gerhard (1980), Wörterbuch des Chaladsch (Dialekt von Charrab) [Khalaj dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó

Lombard

Etymology

Akin to Italian alto, from Latin altus.

Adjective

alt

1. high

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɑlt]

Adverb

alt

1. sometimes

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Turkish alt (“bottom; under”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑːltʰ/, /ɑːlt/

Noun

alt ? (Arabic spelling ئالت)

1. only used in alt bûn (“to be beaten, defeated”)
2. only used in alt kirin (“to beat, defeat, subdue”)

References

• Chyet, Michael L. (2020), “alt’”, in Ferhenga Birûskî: Kurmanji–English Dictionary (Language Series; 1), volume 1, London: Transnational Press, page 7

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Latin altus, via Italian alto; compare with German Alt.

Noun

alt m (definite singular alten, indefinite plural alter, definite plural altene)

1. (music) alto; contralto

Etymology 2

Determiner

alt

1. neuter singular of all

Pronoun

alt

1. everything, all, anything

   alt kan skje ― anything can happen

Derived terms

• altetende
• fremfor alt, framfor alt

References

• “alt” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑlt/
• (neuter singular of all): IPA^(key): /ɑɬc/ (Trøndelag dialect. Eye dialect spelling as ailltj or ailtj)

Etymology 1

Adverb

alt

1. already

Etymology 2

From Latin altus, via Italian alto; compare with German Alt.

Noun

alt m (definite singular alten, indefinite plural altar, definite plural altane)

1. (music) alto; contralto

Etymology 3

Inherited from Old Norse allt. Compare to Swedish allt

Determiner

alt

1. neuter singular of all

Pronoun

alt

1. everything, all, anything

   alt kan skje ― anything can happen

References

• “alt” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“grown-up”), from Proto-Indo-European *altós, *h₂eltós, from *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”).

Adjective

alt

1. old

Inflection

Declension of alt (a-stem)

strong declension
case	masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
nominative	alt	alt	alt	alda, alde
accusative	aldan, alden	alda	alt	alda, alde
genitive	aldes	aldero	aldes	aldero
dative	aldin, aldemo	aldero	aldin, aldemo	aldon
weak declension
case	masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
nominative	aldo	alda	alda	aldon
accusative	aldon	aldon	alda	aldon
genitive	aldin	aldon	aldin	aldono
dative	aldin	aldon	aldin	aldon

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: out
  • Dutch: oud, (obsolete) oudt
    • Afrikaans: ou, oud
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: hau
    • Jersey Dutch: āud, āut
    • Negerhollands: oud, ouw, houw, hou
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: ou, oud
    • West Flemish: elde
  • Limburgish: aad

Further reading

• “alt”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old High German

Alternative forms

• ald — northern

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz, whence also Old English ald. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *altós, *h₂eltós, from *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”). Compare Old Frisian and Old Saxon ald, Old English eald, ald and Old Dutch alt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alt/

Adjective

alt

1. old

   miti thên altôn ― with the elders

Declension

Strong declension of alt

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altēr, alt	altiu, alt	altaȥ, alt
accusative	altan	alta	altaȥ, alt
genitive	altes	altera	altes
dative	altemu	alteru	altemu
instrumental	altu	—	altu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	alte, alt	alto, alt	altiu, alt
accusative	alte	alto	altiu, alt
genitive	altero	altero	altero
dative	altēm	altēm	altēm

Weak declension of alt

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	alto	alta	alta
accusative	alton	altūn	alta
genitive	alten	altūn	alten
dative	alten	altūn	alten
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	alton	altūn	alton
accusative	alton	altūn	alton
genitive	altōno	altōno	altōno
dative	altōm	altōm	altōm

Declension of comparative of alt

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōro	altōra	altōra
accusative	altōron	altōrūn	altōra
genitive	altōren	altōrūn	altōren
dative	altōren	altōrūn	altōren
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōron	altōrūn	altōron
accusative	altōron	altōrūn	altōron
genitive	altōrōno	altōrōno	altōrōno
dative	altōrōm	altōrōm	altōrōm

Strong declension of superlative alt

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōstēr, altōst	altōstiu, altōst	altōstaȥ, altōst
accusative	altōstan	altōsta	altōstaȥ, altōst
genitive	altōstes	altōstera	altōstes
dative	altōstemu	altōsteru	altōstemu
instrumental	altōstu	—	altōstu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōste, altōst	altōsto, altōst	altōstiu, altōst
accusative	altōste	altōsto	altōstiu, altōst
genitive	altōstero	altōstero	altōstero
dative	altōstēm	altōstēm	altōstēm

Weak declension of superlative alt

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōsto	altōsta	altōsta
accusative	altōston	altōstūn	altōsta
genitive	altōsten	altōstūn	altōsten
dative	altōsten	altōstūn	altōsten
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altōston	altōstūn	altōston
accusative	altōston	altōstūn	altōston
genitive	altōstōno	altōstōno	altōstōno
dative	altōstōm	altōstōm	altōstōm

Descendants

• Middle High German: alt
  • Alemannic German: altu, oalt, oalts, olt, àltà (Italian Walser)
  • Bavarian: old

    Apeltonerisch: old

    Central Bavarian: oid /ɔed̥/

    Cimbrian: alt

    Mòcheno: òlt

    Northern Bavarian: old /ɔːld̥/

    Southern Bavarian: ålt /ɔltʰ/

    Udinese: olt, òlt

  • Central Franconian: alt

    Hunsrik: alt

    Kirchröadsj: aod, auw

    Luxembourgish: al

    Ripuarian: oot

  • German: alt
  • Rhine Franconian: alt, all

    Frankfurterisch: [ɑːl], [aːl]

    Pennsylvania German: alt

  • Vilamovian: aołd
  • Yiddish: אַלט (alt)

References

• Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer

Old Irish

Verb

·alt

1. third-person singular preterite active conjunct of ailid
2. singular preterite passive conjunct of ailid

Mutation

Mutation of ·alt

radical	lenition	nasalization
·alt (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	·alt	·n-alt

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German alt. Compare German alt, Dutch oud, English old.

Adjective

alt (comparative elder, superlative eltscht)

1. old

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alt
• Syllabification: alt

Etymology 1

Internationalism; compare English alto. Possibly borrowed from German Alt or Italian alto. First attested in 1586.

Noun

alt m inan

1. alto (singing voice range) [from 16th c.]

   matowy alt ― smoky alto

   głęboki alt ― deep alto

   ciepły alt ― warm alto

   ostry alt ― striking alto

   niski alt ― low alto

   śpiewać altem ― to sing in an alto

2. alto (instrument within the alto range) [from 20th c.]
3. (obsolete) portion or section of a song sung in an alto [17th–20th c]
4. (hunting, obsolete) middle-pitched voice of a hunting dog (instrument within the alto range) [17th–19th c]

Declension

Declension of alt

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	alty
genitive	altu	altów
dative	altowi	altom
accusative	alt	alty
instrumental	altem	altami
locative	alcie	altach
vocative	alcie	alty

Noun

alt m pers

1. alto (person with an alto voice) [from 20th c.]

   Synonyms: alcista, altysta

Declension

Declension of alt

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	alty
genitive	alta	altów
dative	altowi	altom
accusative	alta	altów
instrumental	altem	altami
locative	alcie	altach
vocative	alcie	alty

Related terms

adjectives

• altowy
• altówkowy

nouns

• alcista
• alcistka
• altowiolinista
• altowiolinistka
• altowiolista
• altowiolistka
• altówka
• altysta
• altystka

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English alt, as found on keyboards. First attested in the late 20th century.

Noun

alt m inan

1. (technology) alt, alt key

   lewy alt ― left alt key

   prawy alt ― right alt key

   naciskać/nacisnąć/wciskać/wcisnąć alt ― to press the alt key

Declension

Declension of alt

	singular	plural
nominative	alt	alty
genitive	altu	altów
dative	altowi	altom
accusative	alt	alty
instrumental	altem	altami
locative	alcie	altach
vocative	alcie	alty

Etymology 3

Learned borrowing from Latin altum. First attested in 1652.

Noun

alt m inan

1. (Middle Polish) enthusiasm, gusto

Declension

Declension of -

	singular	plural
nominative	—	—
genitive	—	—
dative	—	—
accusative	—	—
instrumental	—	altami
locative	—	—
vocative	—	—

Further reading

• alt in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• alt in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814), “alt”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “alt”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *altru, from Latin alter, alterum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élteros.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alt

Determiner

alt m or n (feminine singular altă, masculine plural alți, feminine/neuter plural alte)

1. other, another

Usage notes

Alt can only be preposited and unarticulated. Instead of an articulated form, celălalt (“the other”) exists.

Altul (“another one”) superficially resembles the articulated adjective form, but is actually a self-standing pronoun.

The genitive and dative forms can also be formed like those of a regular adjective, using forms of un: unui alt, unei alte, unor alți, unor alte.

Declension

Declension of altdeterminer declension, indefinite only

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	alt		altă		alți	alte
	definite	—		—		—	—
genitive- dative	indefinite	altui		altei		altor	altor
	definite	—		—		—	—

References

• “alt”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish alt (“joint, articulation”), from Proto-Celtic *ɸaltom (“joint”), from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to fold”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌽 (falþan, “to fold”) and Ancient Greek πέπλος (péplos, “woven cloth”).

Noun

alt m (genitive singular uilt, plural altan)

1. joint
2. (grammar) article

Derived terms

• alt-aiseig (“linkspan”)
• alt cinnteach
• alt neo-chinnteach

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian alto (canto) (literally “high song”).

Noun

alt m inan (Cyrillic spelling алт)

1. (music) an alto

Related terms

• altovi

Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish آلت (alt).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑɫt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: alt

Noun

alt (definite accusative altı, plural altlar)

1. bottom
2. under

Declension

Declension of alt

singular plural nominative alt altlar definite accusative altı altları dative alta altlara locative altta altlarda ablative alttan altlardan genitive altın altların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular altım altlarım 2nd singular altın altların 3rd singular altı altları 1st plural altımız altlarımız 2nd plural altınız altlarınız 3rd plural altları altları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular altımı altlarımı 2nd singular altını altlarını 3rd singular altını altlarını 1st plural altımızı altlarımızı 2nd plural altınızı altlarınızı 3rd plural altlarını altlarını dative singular plural 1st singular altıma altlarıma 2nd singular altına altlarına 3rd singular altına altlarına 1st plural altımıza altlarımıza 2nd plural altınıza altlarınıza 3rd plural altlarına altlarına locative singular plural 1st singular altımda altlarımda 2nd singular altında altlarında 3rd singular altında altlarında 1st plural altımızda altlarımızda 2nd plural altınızda altlarınızda 3rd plural altlarında altlarında ablative singular plural 1st singular altımdan altlarımdan 2nd singular altından altlarından 3rd singular altından altlarından 1st plural altımızdan altlarımızdan 2nd plural altınızdan altlarınızdan 3rd plural altlarından altlarından genitive singular plural 1st singular altımın altlarımın 2nd singular altının altlarının 3rd singular altının altlarının 1st plural altımızın altlarımızın 2nd plural altınızın altlarınızın 3rd plural altlarının altlarının

Antonyms

• üst

Derived terms

• altında
• gözaltı

Zipser German

Alternative forms

• olt
• out (Hopgarten)

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German alt.

Adjective

alt

1. old