Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unplighted” come from?

unplighted (English) comes from English plighted, from English plight, from Middle English plight, from Old English pliht, from Proto-West Germanic plihti, from Proto-West Germanic plehan — to stand up for; to be responsible for.

unplighted (English): Not plighted or pledged

Definitions

  1. Not plighted or pledged

Ancestry of “unplighted”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishplightedsimple past tense and past participle of plight
2EnglishplightA dire or unfortunate situation; A condition or...
3Middle Englishplightrisk, danger; risky promise, peril
4Old Englishplihtdanger, risk
5Proto-West Germanicplihticare, maintenance, diligence; responsibility,...
6Proto-West Germanicplehanto stand up for; to be responsible for
Every word from Proto-West Germanic plehan →