Where does “high-level language” come from?

high-level language (English) comes from English high-level, from English level, from Middle English level, from Old French livel, from Latin lībella, from Latin lībra, from Ancient Greek ζυγόν, from Proto-Hellenic dzugón — to join, to yoke, to tie together.

high-level language (English): A programming language requiring a compiler to translate it into a form that a particular machine understands, focusing on user-friendly code development by automating core tasks such as accessing memory

Definitions

  1. A programming language requiring a compiler to translate it into a form that a particular machine understands, focusing on user-friendly code development by automating core tasks such as accessing memory

Ancestry of “high-level language”, step by step

high-level language traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English high-level

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhigh-levelTaking place or existing at a high level,...
2EnglishlevelThe same height at all places; parallel to a flat...
3Middle Englishlevel
4Old Frenchlivel
5LatinlībellaAn as (the tenth part of a denarius)
6Latinlībra
7Ancient Greekζυγόνyoke, for joining animals; yoke, burden; in...
8Proto-Hellenicdzugónyoke
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyugómyoke
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyewg-to join, to yoke, to tie together

via English language

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlanguageA body of words, and set of methods of combining...
2Middle Englishlangagelanguage, tongue, speech; dialect, idiom, local...
3Old Frenchlanguagelanguage (style of communicating)
4Vulgar Latinlinguaticumlanguage
5Latinlinguatongue; a speech; an utterance or expression
6Latin-ularegō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;...
7Proto-Indo-European-tlomAlternative form of *-trom
8Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
9Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yewg-Every word from Proto-Indo-European yugómEvery word from Proto-Hellenic dzugón
high-level language — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer