Where does “hi-rail” come from?

hi-rail (English) comes from English highway, from Middle English heiȝwai, from Old English hēahweġ, from Old English hēah, from Old English hām, from Proto-West Germanic haim, from Proto-Germanic haimaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóymos — to be lying down; to settle.

hi-rail (English): Interface equipment used to mount road-going...

Definitions

  1. Interface equipment used to mount road-going...

Ancestry of “hi-rail”, step by step

hi-rail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English highway

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhighwayA main, direct public road, especially a...
2Middle Englishheiȝwai
3Old Englishhēahweġmain road, highway
4Old Englishhēahhigh, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,...
5Old Englishhāmhome; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,...
6Proto-West Germanichaimhome
7Proto-Germanichaimazhome; house; village
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱóymosof the home, belonging to the family; village,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

via English rail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrailA horizontal bar extending between supports and...
2Middle Englishrail
3Old Englishregola rule; a ruler
4Latinrēgularule, bar
5Latin-ularegō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;...
6Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
7Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
8Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱóymosEvery word from Proto-Germanic haimaz
hi-rail — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer