ale（n.）
"由麦芽发酵制成的令人陶醉的酒精饮料"，古英语 ealu "啤酒，啤酒"，源自原始日耳曼语 *aluth-（也源自古撒克逊语 alo，古诺尔斯语 öl），其起源不确定。可能来自一个意味着"苦"的原始印欧语根（也源自拉丁语 alumen "明矾"），或者来自 PIE *alu-t "啤酒"，来自 *alu- 根，具有"巫术，魔法，占有和醉酒"的含义[沃特金斯]。这个词从日耳曼语借入到立陶宛语（alus）和古教会斯拉夫语（olu）。
In the fifteenth century, and until the seventeenth, ale stood for the unhopped fermented malt liquor which had long been the native drink of these islands. Beer was the hopped malt liquor introduced from the Low Countries in the fifteenth century and popular first of all in the towns. By the eighteenth century, however, all malt liquor was hopped and there had been a silent mutation in the meaning of the two terms. For a time the terms became synonymous, in fact, but local habits of nomenclature still continued to perpetuate what had been a real difference: 'beer' was the malt liquor which tended to be found in towns, 'ale' was the term in general use in the country districts. [Peter Mathias, "The Brewing Industry in England," Cambridge University Press, 1959]
在15世纪，直到17世纪，啤酒代表了长期以来一直是这些岛屿本土饮料的未加酒花的发酵麦芽饮料。啤酒是15世纪从低地国家引进的加酒花的麦芽饮料，最初在城镇中很受欢迎。然而，到了18世纪，所有麦芽饮料都加了酒花，这两个术语的含义发生了悄然变化。事实上，这些术语一度成为同义词，但当地的命名习惯仍然继续延续了一个真正的区别：'啤酒'是在城镇中容易找到的麦芽饮料，'啤酒'是在乡村地区广泛使用的术语。[彼得·马蒂亚斯，《英国酿酒业》，剑桥大学出版社，1959年]
意思是"在这里喝了很多啤酒的节日或欢乐会议"在古英语中（见 bridal）。