'high-aluminum' is a compound formed from the adjective 'high' (Old English 'heah') and the noun 'aluminum'. 'High' originates from Old English 'heah' meaning 'tall, great', and 'aluminum' ultimately originates from Latin 'alumen' meaning 'alum' (a bitter salt).

'aluminum' evolved from Latin 'alumen' to Middle English/Medieval forms related to 'alum', and in the early 19th century English chemists (e.g., Humphry Davy) used forms like 'alumium' and 'aluminium'; the variant 'aluminum' became established in American English, leading to the modern compound 'high-aluminum'.

Originally the elements of the compound referred separately to 'high' (tall/great) and the substance 'aluminum'; over time the compound came to be used adjectivally to describe materials with a high content of aluminum.