Etymology Map
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Ale

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a type of beer

Where does the word "ale" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic alu, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
alu
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"ale"
'alu' appears as a charm word on early runic inscriptions
2
Stage 2 of 3
ealu
Old English · 700s-1000s
"ale"
Anglo-Saxon ale was brewed without hops
3
Stage 3 of 3
ale
English · 1500s
"ale"
hopped 'beer' arrived from the Low Countries in the 1400s, and 'ale' came to mean a particular style
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Read the full story

Ale’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: alu meant “ale.” 'alu' appears as a charm word on early runic inscriptions. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as ealu. Anglo-Saxon ale was brewed without hops. It reached English by 1500s as ale. Hopped 'beer' arrived from the Low Countries in the 1400s, and 'ale' came to mean a particular style. Today, ale means a type of beer.