Where does “hijack” come from?
hijack (English) comes from English jacker, from English jacklight, from English Jack, from Middle English jakke, from Anglo-Norman jacke, from Middle French jaque, from Middle French jacques, from French jacques — heel of the foot; heel.
hijack (English): To forcibly seize control of some vehicle in order to rob it or to reach a destination (especially an airplane, truck or a boat)
Definitions
- To forcibly seize control of some vehicle in order to rob it or to reach a destination (especially an airplane, truck or a boat)
Ancestry of “hijack”, step by step
hijack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English jacker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | jacker | One who hunts at night using a jacklight |
| 2 | English | jacklight | A spotlight or lamp mounted on a car; To shine a... |
| 3 | English | Jack | A placeholder or conventional name for any man,... |
| 4 | Middle English | jakke | A padded coat, especially as light armour |
| 5 | Anglo-Norman | jacke | — |
| 6 | Middle French | jaque | — |
| 7 | Middle French | jacques | — |
| 8 | French | jacques | plural of jacque; a stupid person; a jemmy or... |
| 9 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 12 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 13 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |
via English highway
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | highway | A main, direct public road, especially a... |
| 2 | Middle English | heiȝwai | — |
| 3 | Old English | hēahweġ | main road, highway |
| 4 | Old English | hēah | high, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,... |
| 5 | Old English | hām | home; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |