Where does “hightail it” come from?
hightail it (English) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
hightail it (English): To hurry or run; often, to flee
Definitions
- To hurry or run; often, to flee
Ancestry of “hightail it”, step by step
hightail it 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 tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tail | The caudal appendage of an animal that is... |
| 2 | Middle English | tail | Alternative form of tayl |
| 3 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 4 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |