alien

Where does the word "alien" come from? It comes from Latin alienus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Alien’s story begins in Latin: alienus meant “belonging to another.” From 'alius', other. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as alien. A foreigner. It reached English by 1300s as alien. The sense 'extraterrestrial' dates from the 1950s. Today, alien means a foreigner; a being from another world.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient alienus "belonging to another", from 'alius', other.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval alien "foreign", a foreigner.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s alien "foreign", the sense 'extraterrestrial' dates from the 1950s.