- alder
- tree related to the birch, O.E. alor (with intrusive -d- added 14c.; the historical form aller survived until 18c. in literary Eng. and persists in dialects, e.g. Lancashire owler, partly from O.N.), from P.Gmc. *aliso (cf. O.N. ölr, Dan. elle, Swed. al, Du. els, Ger. erle), from the ancient PIE name of the tree (cf. Rus. olicha, Pol. olcha, L. alnus, Lith. alksnis).