Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Wight” come from?

Wight (English) comes from Middle English wight, from Old English wiht, from Latin Vectis, from Proto-Celtic wextā, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

Ancestry of “Wight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwightA creature, a being; A person, a human being; A...
2Old Englishwihtcreature, person, thing, being; weight
3LatinVectisIsle of Wight
4Proto-Celticwextātime, course, turn
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →