Where does “heyfre” come from?
heyfre (Middle English) comes from Old English heahfore, from Old English heah, from Proto-West Germanic hauh, from Proto-Germanic hauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱewk- — flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten.
Ancestry of “heyfre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | heahfore | heifer |
| 2 | Old English | heah | high, tall; exalted, illustrious, important;... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hauh | high |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hauhaz | high |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewk- | flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten |