The one human thing, with the goblins before me—Alone—in a loneness so ghastly—Alone!
Then they were alone, and it was a loneness such as an eagle might feel when it held itself poised high in the curve of blue.
late 14c., "having no companion, solitary," shortening of alone (q.v.) by weakening of stress or else by misdivision of what is properly all one. The Lone Star in reference to "Texas" is first recorded 1843, from its flag. Lone wolf in the figurative sense is 1909, American English.