alone

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-der.?
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂elnós
3. Proto-Germanic*allaz
4. Proto-West Germanic*all
5. Old Englisheall
6. Proto-Indo-European*ís?
7. Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
8. Proto-Germanic*ainaz
9. Proto-West Germanic*ain
10. Old Englishān
11. Old Englisheall ān
12. Middle Englishall oon
13. Middle Englishallone
14. English todayalone

From Middle English allone, from earlier all oon (literally “all one”), contracted from the Old English phrase eall ān (“completely alone”), equivalent to al- (“all”) + one. Cognate with Scots alane (“alone”), Saterland Frisian alleene (“alone”), West Frisian allinne (“alone”), Dutch alleen (“alone”), Low German alleen (“alone”), German allein (“alone”), Danish alene (“alone”), Swedish allena (“alone”). More at all and one. For the different phonological development of alone and one, see the note in one.