Where does “heath” come from?
Heath derives from Middle English heeth, Old English hæfþ, Proto-Germanic haiþī, and Proto-Indo-European kayt-, ultimately referring to uncultivated open land.
heath (English): A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy...
Definitions
- A tract of level uncultivated land with sandy...
Ancestry of “heath”, step by step
heath traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English heeth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heeth | heath, uncultivated land |
| 2 | Old English | hǣþ | heath, untilled land, waste; heather; heath;... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | haiþi | uncultivated land, wasteland |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | haiþī | heath, wasteland |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱayt- | forest, wasteland, pasture |
via Middle English hethe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hethe | Alternative form of heeth |
via Middle English heth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heth | Alternative form of heeth |