alien
/ˈeɪliən/
noun
Origin
Latin
alius — other
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person or creature from another world or planet.
- A person who is not a national or citizen of the country in which they are living.
Literal older meaning
belonging to another place
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
alien
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term entered English from French and Latin, originally denoting a foreigner or non-citizen in a legal sense. Its use to describe beings from other planets gained prominence in the 20th century through science fiction literature and cinema.
Evolution
- Latin
alienus
“belonging to another, foreign”
- Old French
alien
“foreign, stranger”
- Middle English
alien
“stranger, foreigner”
- 19th century
alien
“extraterrestrial”
Shifted to science fiction context.
Connections
Word parts
alien
root
other
Related across languages
French
aliéner
to alienate
Spanish
ajeno
someone else's
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Related to alien
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.