Licht German · revision 35614

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *lewk-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /lɪçt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Licht''' ''n'' (genitive Lichtes or Lichts, plural Lichter or Lichte, diminutive Lichtchen n or Lichtlein n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle High German had the plural ''diu lieht'', which lasted into the 16th century.^(DWB|12, 861) Older written German spelled the word ''liecht'' until the 17th century, though the form ''licht'' goes back to the 13th.^(DWB|12, 861) The plural ''Lichte'' is now dated or poetic, except for candles.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|lieht]], [[inh|goh|lioht]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*leuht]], [[inh|gem-pro|*leuhtą|t=light]], the adjective [[licht]] “bright” used as a noun.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)^(Kluge 2011|576) Kluge calls the noun old, and Paul allows that it may instead have been formed with a dental suffix on the model of [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌸|tr=liuhaþ|t=light]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Paul 2002) The same word is [[osx|lioht]], [[ang|lēoht]] and [[ofs|liacht]], continued in [[nl|licht]] and [[en|light]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(AWB) It is only West Germanic: Gothic used that other noun and Old Norse [[m|non|ljós]] for the noun, though the Gothic verb [[m|got|𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=liuhtjan|t=to shine]] shows that the adjective was once common Germanic.^(DWB|12, 861)^(Kluge 2011|576)

+

+ The root is [[ine-pro|*lewk-|t=to shine]], also found in [[hit|lukkizzi|t=it gets light]], [[sa|रोचते|tr=rócate|t=shines]], [[grc|λευκός|tr=leukós|t=bright, white]], [[la|lūx|t=light]], [[cu|луча|tr=luča|t=ray]] and [[lt|laũkas|t=with a blaze]].^(Kluge 2011|576)^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary reconstructs the noun as [[m|ine-pro|*lewktom]], and Kluge suggests an old consonant stem [[m|ine-pro|*leukot-]].^(Wiktionary)^(Kluge 2011|576) The diphthong was shortened before ⟨cht⟩, sporadically already in Old High German and generally in New High German; in Low German the short vowel is old, while Alemannic and Bavarian still have a diphthong.^(Kluge 2011|576)^(DWB|12, 854)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''lioht'' is recorded from the 8th century, in the Vocabularius Sancti Galli, the Abrogans and the Samanunga, and then in Isidor, the Benedictine Rule, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, with about 260 occurrences.^(EWA|5, 1351)^(Köbler AHD) Its senses were light and brightness, daybreak, daylight, a lamp and the light of the eyes, rendering Latin ''lux'', ''lumen'', ''lucerna'' and ''candela'';^(EWA|5, 1351)^(Schützeichel 2012|203) ''under zwiscēn liehten'' meant “at twilight”.^(EWA|5, 1351)^(Schützeichel 2012|203)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The first meaning was brightness, the glow that comes from something or spreads over it, as in Luther's ''Es werde Liecht'' (Genesis 1:3).^(Paul 2002) The use for a shining object came later: in Genesis 1:16 Luther calls the sun and moon ''zwey grosse Liechter'', and since the 15th century (1464–75) ''Licht'' is a candle, chiefly in the north, with the plural ''Lichte'' beside ''Lichter''.^(Paul 2002) [[Lichtmess]], Candlemas, is named after the blessing of candles on that day.^(Duden 7 2007) In hunters' language the plural ''Lichter'' means the eyes of game.^(Duden 7 2007)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ Many phrases come from it.^(Paul 2002) ''Etwas ans Licht bringen'' “to bring to light” is recorded in 1561 of bad deeds, ''jemandem im Licht stehen'' “to stand in someone's light” the same year in Maaler (earlier ''vor dem Lichte stehen'', 1519/22), ''jemanden hinters Licht führen'' “to deceive someone” in Gryphius, and ''das Licht der Welt erblicken'' “to be born” in Frisch (1741).^(Paul 2002) ''Grünes Licht geben'' “to give the go-ahead”, after the traffic light, is a modern coinage.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''lioht'' appears in the earliest glossaries.^(EWA|5, 1351)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 13th century – The spelling ''licht'' with a short vowel is found beside ''lieht''.^(DWB|12, 861)

+ * 1464–1475 – First record of the sense “candle”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1561 – ''ans Licht bringen'' and ''im Licht stehen'' are recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – The spelling ''liecht'' gives way to ''licht''.^(DWB|12, 861)

+ * 1741 – Frisch records ''das Licht der Welt erblicken''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|light]], [[m|en|brightness]]: what lights up the surroundings and makes things visible, the glow given off by a source of light: ''das kalte Licht des Mondes''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|daylight]]: ''Das Zimmer bekommt nur am Vormittag Licht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # [[m|en|lighting]]: ''In der Garage gibt es kein Licht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(plural Lichter)'' A [[m|en|lamp]], a light source: ''Mach bitte das Licht aus!''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural also Lichte)'' A [[m|en|candle]]: ''die Lichter auf der Torte ausblasen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, dated)'' Electric current for lighting.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(art)'' A [[m|en|highlight]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(hunting, usually plural)'' The eyes of [[m|en|game]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Tageslicht]]

+ * [[Sonnenlicht]]

+ * [[Mondlicht]]

+ * [[Augenlicht]]

+ * [[Zwielicht]]

+ * [[Nordlicht]]

+ * [[Blaulicht]]

+ * [[Blitzlicht]]

+ * [[Rampenlicht]]

+ * [[Rücklicht]]

+ * [[Lebenslicht]]

+ * [[Kirchenlicht]]

+ * [[Lichtbild]]

+ * [[Lichtjahr]]

+ * [[Lichtmess]]

+ * [[lichtscheu]]

+ * [[Lichtspiel]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[leuchten]]

+ * [[licht]]

+ * [[lichten]]

+ * [[lichterloh]]

+ * [[Lichtung]]

+ * [[Leuchte]]

+ * [[Lohe]]

+ * [[Luchs]]

+ * [[en|light]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Jemanden hinters Licht führen'' “to lead someone behind the light” is to deceive someone; the Duden explains it as leading a person to the side where the lamp's beam is screened off.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Jemandem geht ein Licht auf'' (“a light goes on for someone”) is said when someone suddenly understands, and ''kein großes Licht sein'' is to be none too bright.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}