Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “heah-kyng” come from?

heah-kyng (Middle English) comes from Old English hēahcyning, from Old English cyning, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

Ancestry of “heah-kyng”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhēahcyninghigh-king; God
2Old Englishcyningking
3Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
4Proto-West Germanictūnfence
5Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
6Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
7Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “heah-kyng”

  • high king
  • high kingship
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →