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Added 10 October 2026

aisle

/aɪ̯l/ noun

Latin root: āla Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about aisle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.
A clear path/passage through rows of seating.
A clear corridor in a supermarket with shelves on both sides containing goods for sale.

Origin

From Middle English ele, from Anglo-Norman ele (“wing”) (Modern French aile), from Latin āla (whence English ala). Further from Latin axis (whence English axis, atelier). Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with English axle, Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn) (whence English axo-, axon). The modern pronunciation has been influenced by English isle, whence the obsolete form isle; the modern spelling reflects further modification of this form after modern French aile.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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