high-income

The compound adjective 'high-income' is a modern English formation that transparently combines two native English elements. The first element, 'high', originates from the Old English hēah, a common Germanic term for physical and metaphorical elevation. The second element, 'income', entered Middle English from the literal notion of money "coming in." The logic of the compound is direct and descriptive: it denotes a level of earnings that is elevated or great in amount, reflecting the straightforward semantic combination of its constituent parts to specify an economic category.

Structure: high (great in amount) + income (money received) - high: From Old English hēah, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoog and German hoch. Functions as an adjective describing a large degree or amount. - income: From Middle English income, from the phrase in (into) + come (arrive). The noun refers to money received, especially on a regular basis.