heigh

English

Alternative forms

• hey, hi
• hegh, hech (Scotland)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English heigh, hey, hay, hei, heh, probably of imitative origin. Compare hey, eh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /heɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ

Interjection

heigh

1. An exclamation designed to call attention, give encouragement, etc.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     Heigh, my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly, my hearts.

Derived terms

• heigh-ho

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hēah, from Proto-West Germanic *hauh (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz (“high”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɛːx/, /heːx/, (later) /hiːx/

Adjective

heigh (comparative heigher, superlative heighest)

1. high

Alternative forms

• heighe, heiȝ, heiȝe, heiȝh, heih, hei, heie, heij, hegh, heghe, heg, hege, heȝ, heȝe, heȝhe, heh, hehe, hehȝe, egh, eȝe, he, high, highe, hiȝ, hiȝe, hih, hihe, hiegh, hieȝ, hieȝe, iȝe, hi, hie, hij, heygh, heyghe, heyȝ, heyȝe, heyh, hey, heye, hygh, hyghe, hyȝ, hyȝe, hyh, hyhe, hyeȝ, yȝe, hy, hye
• heah, heahe, heahȝæ, heaȝe, heaȝæ, hæh, hæhȝe, hæge, hæȝe, hah, hage, haihe, aȝe, haie, haye (early)

Derived terms

• heighte
• hyghnesse

Descendants

• English: high
  • Sranan Tongo: hei
  • → German: high
• Scots: heich
• Yola: heigh, heighe, heegh, hia, hie

References

• “heigh, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Interjection

heigh

1. Alternative form of hey (“hey”)

Etymology 3

Noun

heigh (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of hey (“hay”)

Etymology 4

Verb

heigh (third-person singular simple present heigheth, present participle heighende, heighynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle heighed)

1. Alternative form of hien (“to go quickly”)

Yola

Alternative forms

• heighe, heegh, hia, hie

Etymology

From Middle English heigh, from Old English hēah, from Proto-West Germanic *hauh.

Adjective

heigh

1. high
   • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:

     Heigh thoornes.

     High thorns.

References

• Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 45