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wight¹

(wīt)

n.
Obsolete

A living being; a creature.

[Middle English, from Old English wiht; see wekti- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

wight²

(wīt)

adj.
Archaic

Valorous; brave.

[Middle English, from Old Norse vīgt, neuter of vīgr, able to fight; see weik-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Wight

(wīt), Isle of

An island in the English Channel off south-central England. It is a popular resort area and yachting center.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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