Where does “lightning” come from?
Lightning comes from English lighten, from Middle English lightnen, from Old English leohtian, derived from Proto-Indo-European lewktom meaning bright or shining.
lightning (English): A flash of light produced by short-duration,...
Definitions
- A flash of light produced by short-duration,...
Ancestry of “lightning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lighten | To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate; To... |
| 2 | English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
Words derived from “lightning”