Middle English word elten comes from Proto-Indo-European *ol-, Proto-Germanic *al-, Proto-Germanic - atjaną, and later Proto-Germanic *alatjaną (To drive, move.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *ol- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *al- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| - atjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *alatjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To drive, move. |
| elta | Old Norse (non) | |
| elten | Middle English (enm) |