Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bight” come from?

Bight comes from Middle English bight, from Old English byht, from Proto-Germanic buhtiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰūgʰ-, a root meaning to bend or bow.

bight (English): A corner, bend, or angle; a hollow; An area of...

Definitions

  1. A corner, bend, or angle; a hollow; An area of...

Ancestry of “bight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbight—
2Old Englishbyhtbend, angle, corner; bay, bight; a bend
3Proto-Germanicbuhtizbend, curve, arch, angle; corner; a bend in a...
4Proto-Germanicbeuganąto bend, bow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰūgʰ-to bend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰūgʰ- →