Where does “high” come from?
High comes from Middle English hiȝe, from Old English hēah, from Proto-West Germanic hugi, from Proto-Germanic hauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European kewk-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kew-.
high (English): Elevated, extending above a base or average...
Definitions
- Elevated, extending above a base or average...
Ancestry of “high”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heigh | high; Alternative form of hey; Alternative form... |
| 2 | Old English | hēah | high, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,... |
| 3 | Old English | hām | home; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |