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alp

(ălp)

1. A mountain meadow, especially one used for pasturage.

2. A high mountain.

3. A very large mound or mass.

[Ultimately, partly via German Alp (from German dialectal (Alemannic) Alp, from Middle High German albe, from Old High German alba) and partly via French regional (Switzerland) alpe (probably of Alpine Romance origin; akin to Lombard alp and Italian alpe), from an indigenous pre-Roman Alpine language (also the source of Latin Alpēs, the Alps), Senses 2 and 3, back-formation from the Alps.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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