Where does “highbrowness” come from?

highbrowness (English) comes from English highbrow, from English high, from Middle English heigh, 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.

highbrowness (English): The state or condition of being highbrow

Definitions

  1. The state or condition of being highbrow

Ancestry of “highbrowness”, step by step

highbrowness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English highbrow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhighbrowIntellectually stimulating, highly cultured,...
2EnglishhighElevated, extending above a base or average...
3Middle Englishheighhigh; Alternative form of hey; Alternative form...
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 Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-