Where does “alight” come from?
alight (Middle English) comes from Old English ālīhted, from Old English ālīhtan, from Old English līhtan, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European lewk- — bright; to shine; to see.
Ancestry of “alight”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | ālīhted | — |
| 2 | Old English | ālīhtan | to light up, enlighten; to lighten, relieve,... |
| 3 | Old English | līhtan | to light; to alight |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |