sight English · revision 4577

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 950|origins=gmw-pro *sihti}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /saɪt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|sight]], [[inh|ang|ġesiht]], also sihþ and ġesihþ, “thing seen, vision, power of sight”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) a West Germanic derivative^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) of the stem of [[ang|sēon|t=to see]], the source of [[see]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) with the noun suffix -th, later -t.^(Etymonline) It is cognate with Middle Dutch sicht, Dutch zicht and German Sicht and Gesicht “sight, face, appearance”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Something seen, especially something remarkable, and a vision: about 950 in the OED and Barnhart, in the Lindisfarne Gospels.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Perception by the eyes is from the early 13th century,^(Etymonline) and a show or display, hence a great number or quantity, from 1390.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Trench noted that this “great many” use, once neutral (Tyndale wrote of an innumerable sight of angels), had become vulgar by his time.^(Trench 1859) The device on a gun for aiming is from the 1580s,^(Etymonline) and gave ''in one's sights'' and ''set one's sights on''.^(Cresswell 2021) The ''sights'' of a town, the things worth seeing, are from 1632.^(OED 1989) ''A sight for sore eyes'' is from 1738,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and a shocking or ridiculous spectacle from 1694 in the OED.^(OED 1989) The verb first meant “to look at, inspect” (1556) and then “to get sight of” (about 1600).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 950 – a thing seen; a vision.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 13th century – the power of seeing.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1390 – a great number.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1556 – verb, to inspect.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1580s – a device for aiming.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1600 – verb, to catch sight of.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1632 – ''the sights''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1738 – ''sight for sore eyes''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1892 – ''sight unseen''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The ability to see; [[vision]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The act of seeing, or the range within which one can see: ''out of sight''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something seen, especially something worth seeing; the ''sights'' are the interesting places of a town.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' Something that looks unpleasant or ridiculous.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A device on a gun or instrument that helps to [[aim]] it.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' A great deal: ''a sight better''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To catch sight of; to see.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To aim with or adjust the sights of a gun.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sightable]]

+ * [[sighter]]

+ * [[backsight]]

+ * [[blindsight]]

+ * [[bombsight]]

+ * [[boresight]]

+ * [[sighthole]]

+ * [[sighthound]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[see]]

+ * [[insight]]

+ * [[foresight]]

+ * [[hindsight]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}