'alcor' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-khawwar,' where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'khawwar' meant 'faint one.'

'al-khawwar' changed from the Arabic word 'al-khawwar' and eventually became the modern English word 'alcor'.

Initially, it meant 'the faint one,' referring to its visibility, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.