Etymology Map
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Haughty

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means arrogantly superior

Where does the word "haughty" come from? It comes from Latin altus, passing through Old French before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
altus
Latin · ancient
"high"
the h came from Frankish 'hoh', high
2
Stage 2 of 3
haut
Old French · medieval
"high, proud"
'haute cuisine' keeps the French word
3
Stage 3 of 3
haughty
English · 1500s
"proud"
formed in English from 'haught' plus -y
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Read the full story

Haughty’s story begins in Latin: altus meant “high.” The h came from Frankish 'hoh', high. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as haut. 'haute cuisine' keeps the French word. It reached English by 1500s as haughty. Formed in English from 'haught' plus -y. Today, haughty means arrogantly superior.