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é·lan

(ā-läɴ, ā-län)

1. Enthusiastic vigor and liveliness.

2. Distinctive style or flair.

[French, from Old French eslan, rush, from eslancer, to hurl : es-, out (from Latin ex-; see EX-) + lancer, to throw (from Late Latin lanceāre, to throw a lance, from Latin lancea, lance).]

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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