Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “hei-land” come from?

hei-land (Middle English) comes from Old English hēahland, 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.

Ancestry of “hei-land”, step by step

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

Words derived from “hei-land”

  • highland
  • highlander
  • highlandman
  • Híleantóir
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →