Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “high king” come from?

high king (English) comes from Middle English heah-kyng, from Old English hēahcyning, from Old English cyning, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum, from Proto-Celtic dūnom — smoke; mist, haze.

high king (English): A chief king or ruler; a great, superior, or...

Definitions

  1. A chief king or ruler; a great, superior, or...

Ancestry of “high king”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishheah-kyng—
2Old Englishhēahcyninghigh-king; God
3Old Englishcyningking
4Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
5Proto-West Germanictūnfence
6Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
7Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
8Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “high king”

  • high kingship
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →