*lį̄ht

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *lį̄ht for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz (“light (in weight)”),^[1][3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *linhta-.^[4] EWA explains the long vowel by the loss of the nasal with compensatory lengthening: Proto-Germanic *līχt(ii̯)a- from *linχt(ii̯)a-, earlier *lenχt(ii̯)a-.^[5] Ringe and Taylor hold that in Proto-West Germanic the sequences *inh, *anh, *unh were still pronounced as nasalized long vowels before the velar fricative,^[6] and they write *lį̄ht, which became *līht and then, by breaking before ⟨h⟩, Old English ⟨līoht⟩, ⟨lēoht⟩.^[1] In Mercian and Northumbrian the diphthong was later monophthongized to ⟨līht⟩.^[3]

Morphology

An adjective.^[5] EWA sets up an a- and ja-stem, and in Old High German the forms of the ja-declension are far more common.^[5]

Evidence

The adjective is found in Old English lēoht, Old Frisian licht, Old Saxon līht and Old High German līht.^[5] Ringe and Taylor cite the Old Saxon and Old Frisian adverbs līhto and līchte.^[1] Old Dutch has only the adverb Old Dutch līhto "lightly".^[5] In Old Frisian the ⟨ī⟩ was shortened before ⟨-cht⟩.^[5]

Meanings

1. light (in weight)^[1][2]

The daughters also used the word for "slight, insignificant",^[7][8] and Old High German also for "easy", "gentle" and "frivolous".^[5]

Derivatives

• *lį̄htalīk "light, easy", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[9] Old English has lēohtlic and Old Saxon līhtlīk.^[10][11]

Reflexes

• Old English: lēoht (“light, slight, gentle, quick”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: licht (“light, slight, unreliable, simple”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: līht (“light”)^[11]
• Old High German: līht (“light, easy, gentle, quick”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 178
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lį̄ht
3. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 310
4. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 338
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. lîhti
6. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 106
7. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lioht
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. licht
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lį̄htalīk
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. léoht
11. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. līht