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*leuht

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *leuht

*leuht1 light, bright

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs an adjective *leuht "light, bright",[1] and EWA sets up West Germanic *leu̯χta- for it.[2] It continues inherited from Proto-Germanic *leuhtaz (“light, bright”),[1][3] which Köbler cites as *leuhta-, *leuhtaz, *liuhta-, *liuhtaz.[3] For Gothic, EWA postulates an adjective *liuhts on the evidence of the weak verb for "to shine".[2]

Morphology

An adjective.[4][2] EWA records the Anglian form leht of the Old English adjective.[2]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in Old English lēoht, Old Frisian liācht, Old Saxon lioht, Old Dutch lieht and Old High German lioht.[2] Old Dutch has it from the second half of the 12th century, in the Middle Franconian Rhyme Bible and as the first element of place names.[5]

Meanings

  1. light, bright[1][3]

Old Frisian also used the adjective figuratively for "clever, wise",[6] Old Saxon also for "sincere",[4] and Old English also for "clear, beautiful".[7]

Derivatives

  • *liuhtijan "to shine, to illuminate", which Wiktionary derives from the adjective or the noun;[8] Ringe and Taylor trace Old English līehtan to Proto-Germanic *liuhtijaną "to shine, to illuminate", beside Old Saxon liuhtian and Old High German liuhten.[9]
  • *leuhtōn "to shine, to give light", which Wiktionary reconstructs;[10] Köbler sets up Proto-Germanic *leuhtōn on the evidence of Old English lēohtian.[11]

Reflexes

  • Old English: lēoht (“light, bright, clear, beautiful”)[7]
  • Old Frisian: liācht (“light, bright; clever, wise”)[6]
  • Old Saxon: lioht (“light, shining, bright, clear”)[4]
  • Old Dutch: lieht (“bright, shining”)[5]
  • Old High German: lioht (“bright, shining, clear”)[2]

*leuht2 light

Confidence
Probable

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct the noun *leuht "light" for Proto-West Germanic,[12] and Wiktionary has the same form.[1] In Wiktionary it is inherited from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą (“light”),[1] and Köbler sets up a Proto-Germanic neuter *leuhta-, *leuhtam.[3] In West Saxon it became lēoht, in Mercian and Northumbrian lēht.[13]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.[2][4]

Evidence

The noun is attested in Old English lēoht, Old Frisian liācht, Old Saxon lioht and Old High German lioht,[12] and Old Dutch lieht, recorded from the 10th century in the psalms.[5] Old Norse and Gothic use other formations for "light": Old Norse ljós, from *leuχsa-, and the Gothic noun from *leuχada-.[2]

Competing analyses

Ringe and Taylor consider that the noun might continue Proto-Germanic *leuhadą, the source of the Gothic word, as Boutkan and Siebinga proposed, although it is not clear why the middle vowel should have been lost so early.[12] Kroonen lists the West Germanic nouns under Proto-Germanic *leuhada- "light", an old t-stem formed like *naht- "night".[14] Heidermanns too sets Germanic *leuhad- "light" beside *leuht- "bright" as forms with and without the middle vowel.[15] EWA, on the other hand, takes the noun for a conversion of the adjective, West Germanic *leu̯χta-.[2]

Meanings

  1. light[12][1]

Old Saxon also used the noun for "life" and "the world",[4] Old Frisian for a candle,[6] and Old High German for daybreak, a lamp and eyesight.[2]

Derivatives

  • *sunnōn leuht "sunlight", which Wiktionary reconstructs;[16] EWA records the Old High German phrase sunnūn lioht "the shining sun".[2]
  • *leuhtabārī "luminous, shining", which Wiktionary reconstructs;[17] EWA compares the Old High German adverb liohtbāro "clearer than light" with Old English lēohtbǣre "shining".[2]

Reflexes

  • Old English: lēoht (“light, lamp”)[7]
  • Old Frisian: liācht (“light, candle”)[6]
  • Old Saxon: lioht (“light”)[18]
  • Old Dutch: lieht (“light”)[5]
  • Old High German: lioht (“light, brightness, daybreak, lamp, eyesight”)[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leuht
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. lioht
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *leuhta-
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lioht
  5. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. lieht
  6. ^ a b c d Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. liācht
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. léoht
  8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *liuhtijan
  9. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 249
  10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leuhtōn
  11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *leuhtōn
  12. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 99
  13. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 309
  14. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 333
  15. ^ Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. naisa-
  16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *sunnōn leuht
  17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *leuhtabārī
  18. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 256

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*leuht.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*leuht. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·