A Guide to Alto, the Spanish Word for Stop

All over the English-speaking countries of the world, people may drive on different sides of the road, but an international constant is an octagonal red STOP sign is used to let drivers know they need to stop. The same cannot be said for Spanish-speaking countries. In Spanish-speaking countries, the red octagonal shape is used to mean stop, however, the word used in the sign changes depending on the Spanish-speaking country you are in. In some places the red octagon says Alto, or in other places, the red octagon says, Pare.   Both signs signify for a driver to stop. But, the word alto does not traditionally mean stop in Spanish. Parer is the Spanish verb meaning to stop. In Spanish, the word alto commonly serves as a descriptive word meaning high or loud. As in, the book is up high on a shelf, or the boy shouted loudly. Where did alto come from? How did this word end up on Spanish stop signs? Alto Defined Most native Spanish speakers do not know why alto means stop. It requires some digging into the historical usage of the word and its etymology. For those with a knowledge of German, a similarity could be drawn between the word alto and the German word  Halt. The word Halt in German has the same meaning as the word halt in English. According to the Spanish Royal Academys dictionary, the second reference to  alto with stop as its  meaning is commonly found on road signs  in Central America, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, and it  comes from the German halt.  The German verb halten  means to stop. The dictionary provides a basic etymology of most words, but it does not go into extensive detail or give a date of first use. According to another Spanish etymology dictionary, the  Diccionario Etimolà ³gico, urban legend traces the Spanish usage of the word  alto with the meaning of stop back to the 15th century during the Italian Wars. The sergeant raised his pike high as a signal to stop the column of soldiers from marching. In this reference, the Italian word for high is alto.   More credence is given to the Spanish Royal Academy dictionarys meaning, suggesting that alto is a direct borrowing from the German halt. The Italian story sounds more like a folk tale, but the explanation is plausible. The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests that the English word halt comes from the 1590s from the French halte or Italian alto, ultimately from the German halt, possibly as a German military term that made its way into the Romance languages. Which Countries Use Which Sign Most Spanish-speaking Caribbean and South American countries use pare. Mexico and most Central American countries use alto. Spain and Portugal also use  pare. Also, in Portuguese, the word for stop is pare.