in Arabic, an adjective or inseparable prefix. Its use is to render nouns definite, like the English the; as, alkoran, the koran or the book by eminence; alcove, alchimy, alembic, almanac

In English, is sometimes a contraction of the Saxon athel, noble or illustrious. More generally al, in composition is a contraction of ald or alt, old, and it is prefixed to many names, as Alburg. Al, in the composition of Latin words, is written before I for ad, for the ease of pronunciation; as, in allevo, alludo, for ad levo, ad ludo.