Relating to high mountains, especially the Alps, or things that live or happen there. It often suggests cold, rocky, and snowy environments.
From Latin *Alpīnus*, meaning “of the Alps,” from *Alpēs*, the Latin name for the mountain range in Europe. Over time, it generalized from “of the Alps” to “of high mountains.”
“Alpine” originally pointed to one very specific mountain range, the Alps, but we now use it worldwide for high-mountain things. So a tiny plant in the Himalayas or Rockies can be called “alpine,” borrowing its identity from European geography. It shows how one famous place can lend its name to a whole category of nature.
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