Where does “Heathcliff” come from?
Heathcliff (English) comes from English Heath, from Middle English heth, from Old English hǣþ, from Proto-West Germanic haiþi, from Proto-Germanic haiþī, from Proto-Indo-European ḱayt- — forest, wasteland, pasture.
Ancestry of “Heathcliff”, step by step
Heathcliff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Heath
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Heath | A number of places in the United Kingdom |
| 2 | Middle English | heth | Alternative form of heeth |
| 3 | Old English | hǣþ | heath, untilled land, waste; heather; heath;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | haiþi | uncultivated land, wasteland |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | haiþī | heath, wasteland |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱayt- | forest, wasteland, pasture |