plight English · revision 1040

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /plaɪt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ ''Plight'' “condition, predicament” is [[inh|enm|plit]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[bor|xno|plit|t=condition; fold]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from Old French ''pleit'' “way of folding”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la|plicitum|t=folded]], from ''plicāre'' “to fold”.^(AHD)^(Etymonline) It is a doublet of [[plait]].^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) ''Plight'' “pledge” is [[inh|ang|pliht|t=danger, risk]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) with the verb ''plihtan'' “to endanger”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) related to [[nl|plicht|t=duty]] and [[de|Pflicht|t=duty]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The spelling with ''-gh-'' of both words comes from the pledge word.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ As a noun, “peril, danger” (c. 825), now obsolete;^(OED 1989) as a verb, “to endanger” (before 1016).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To ''plight'' something such as one's troth was to put it at risk of forfeiture, that is, to pledge it;^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) this sense of the verb dates from before 1225,^(OED 1989) especially of betrothal or marriage.^(OED 1989) The other ''plight'' first meant a fold or pleat (1399) and a condition or state, originally neutral or even good;^(OED 1989) its present sense of a bad or unfortunate condition probably comes from confusion with the pledge word through the notion of entangling risk.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – ''pliht'', danger, risk.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1016 – verb, to endanger.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1225 – verb, to pledge.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1250 – noun, a pledge.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 14th century – noun, a condition or state.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ * 1399 – a fold, a pleat (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one; a [[predicament]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A solemn [[pledge]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To promise or bind by a solemn pledge, especially to [[betroth]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To give in pledge, as one's word or [[troth]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[plighter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plait]]

+ * [[pleat]]

+ * [[ply]]

+ * [[pledge]]

+ * [[troth]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}