Where does “highlight” come from?
Highlight derives from English high and light, with light tracing to Old English lēoht, Proto-Germanic liuhtijaną, and Proto-Indo-European lewk-, meaning to shine or be bright.
highlight (English): An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or...
Definitions
- An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or...
Ancestry of “highlight”, step by step
highlight traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English high
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | high | Elevated, extending above a base or average... |
| 2 | Middle English | heigh | high; Alternative form of hey; Alternative form... |
| 3 | Old English | hēah | high, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,... |
| 4 | Old English | hām | home; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |
via English Light
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Light | A place name |
| 2 | Middle English | light | The radiation which allows for vision by... |
| 3 | Old English | lēoht | luminous, bright, light, clear, resplendent,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | leuht | light, bright; light |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | leuhtą | light |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewktom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |