Where does “Heidi” come from?
Heidi is a German diminutive of Adelheid, from Old High German Adalheidis, a compound of adal (noble) and heit (estate or condition), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- (to grow or nourish).
Ancestry of “Heidi”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Heidi | — |
| 2 | German | Adelheid | — |
| 3 | Old High German | Adalheid | — |
| 4 | Old High German | adal | noble; nobility; noble race |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | aþal | nobility; race |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | aþalą | nature, disposition; nobility, race |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | at-al | family, race |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂el- | to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam |