Aal

Aal is the Dutch and German word for eel, the long, snake-like fish of the order Anguilliformes. The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is the species most commonly referred to as aal in these languages. Eels have a catadromous life cycle: they spend many years in freshwater or brackish habitats before migrating to the ocean to breed. Adults are slender and can reach substantial lengths; larvae, known as leptocephali, drift with currents across the Atlantic before transforming into glass and then juvenile yellow eels.

In cuisine, aal is a traditional ingredient in the Netherlands, Germany, and neighboring regions, where it may be served smoked (gerookte aal) or prepared in stews and sauces; eel dishes are often associated with northern climates and coastal fisheries. Ecologically, eel populations have declined in recent decades due to overfishing, habitat loss, and barriers to migration.

The term aal may also appear in other contexts: as a surname or in geographic names in Germanic-speaking areas; and in modern acronyms, for example AAL stands for Ambient Assisted Living, a field focused on technology to support aging and disability, and AAL is the stock ticker for American Airlines Group.