Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “highway” come from?

Highway comes from Middle English heiȝwai, from Old English hēahweġ, a compound of hēah (high) and weġ (way).

highway (English): A main, direct public road, especially a...

Definitions

  1. A main, direct public road, especially a...

Ancestry of “highway”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishheiȝwai—
2Old Englishhēahweġmain road, highway
3Old Englishhēahhigh, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,...
4Old Englishhāmhome; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,...
5Proto-West Germanichaimhome
6Proto-Germanichaimazhome; house; village
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱóymosof the home, belonging to the family; village,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

Words derived from “highway”

  • highwayman
  • superhighway
  • nonhighway
  • antihighway
  • highwaywoman
  • highwayless
  • highwayed
  • semi-highway
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →