Where does “Highland” come from?
Highland derives from Middle English hei-land and Old English hēahland, combining elements meaning "high" and "land."
Highland (English): An area of land that is at elevation; mountainous...
Definitions
- An area of land that is at elevation; mountainous...
Ancestry of “Highland”, step by step
Highland traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English hei-land
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hei-land | — |
| 2 | Old English | hēahland | highland |
| 3 | Old English | hēah | high, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,... |
| 4 | Old English | hām | home; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |
via Middle English heiȝ-land
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heiȝ-land | — |