alight
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: ə-līt'
ipa: /əˈlaɪt/
rhymes: -aɪt
Etymology: The verb is probably derived partly:
* from Middle English alighten (“to kindle, light, set on fire; to begin burning; to become bright, shine; to arouse, rouse, stir; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually, illuminate”) [and other forms], from Old English ālīhtan, ālȳhtan (“to light up; enlighten”) (perhaps modelled after Latin illūmināre, the present active infinitive of illūminō (“to brighten, illuminate, light up”)), from ā- (prefix meaning ‘away, from, off, out’) + līhtan, līehtan (“to glow, to shine; to illuminate, to light”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“to see; to shine; bright”)); and
* from Middle English onlighten (“to cause (something) to shine; to clarify; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually”) [and other forms], from Old English onlīhtan, a variant of inlīhtan (“to give light to, brighten, illuminate; to cause to shine; to shine; (figuratively) to give clear sight; to clear a mental fog, enlighten”), from Proto-Germanic *inliuhtijaną (“to enlighten, illumine”), from *in (“in; into”) + *liuhtijaną (“to give light, shine”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk-; see above); and
* from later uses of alight (adjective).
The English word is analysable as a- (prefix meaning ‘away, from, off, out’) + light (“to start (a fire); to burn, set fire to; to become ignited, take fire; to provide light, illuminate; to show the way by means of a light”).
The adjective and adverb are derived from Late Middle English alight (adjective) [and other forms], from Old English ālīht, ālȳht, a past participle form of Old English ālīhtan, ālȳhtan (verb) (see above); but have also been subsequently interpreted as a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’, used to show a condition, manner, or state) + light (“not dark or obscure, bright, clear; highly luminous”).
Cognates
* German erleuchten (“to light up, illuminate”)
Senses: examples: text: The burning embers and the dry wind quickly set the whole neighbourhood alight.
text: The sticks were damp and wouldn’t catch alight.
text: If a train enters the forward section before its description has been transmitted, a "not described" lamp is illuminated on the transmitter, an alarm buzzer is sounded, and the lamp remains alight until a description has been transmitted.
ref: 1955 March, “Train Describers at Euston”, in Railway Magazine, page 170:
text: With a heavy load of 650 tons for Arras and Lille we started very quietly, with about a third of a glass of water, and the fire barely alight. This frightened me, but I had reckoned without the 4-6-4's American mechanical stoker.
ref: 1961 February, Balmore [pseudonym], “Driving and Firing Modern French Steam Locomotives – Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 110:
glosses: Burning, lit, on fire.
synonyms: word: aglow
word: alight
word: beamful
word: beamsome
word: beamy
word: brilliant
word: effulgent
word: glowing
word: illuminating
word: lambent
word: lighted
word: lit
word: lucent
word: luciferous
word: lucific
word: luminant
word: luminiferous
word: luminous
word: lustrous
word: orient
word: profulgent
word: radiant
word: refulgent
word: resplendent
word: sheeny
word: shining
word: shiny
antonyms: word: bright
word: glowing
word: light
word: lit
word: luminous
word: luminiferous
word: radiant
word: shining
word: sunny
glosses: Often followed by with: shining with light; luminous, radiant; also, brightly coloured; vivid.
synonyms: word: aglow
word: alight
word: beamful
word: beamsome
word: beamy
word: brilliant
word: effulgent
word: glowing
word: illuminating
word: lambent
word: lighted
word: lit
word: lucent
word: luciferous
word: lucific
word: luminant
word: luminiferous
word: luminous
word: lustrous
word: orient
word: profulgent
word: radiant
word: refulgent
word: resplendent
word: sheeny
word: shining
word: shiny
antonyms: word: bright
word: glowing
word: light
word: lit
word: luminous
word: luminiferous
word: radiant
word: shining
word: sunny
glosses: Often followed by with: shining with light; luminous, radiant; also, brightly coloured; vivid.
Of an electrical light source: switched on and emitting light.
examples: text: Her face was alight with happiness.
text: But such a fierce, little, rapid, sparkling, energetic, she-devil I never beheld. She was alight and flaming, all the time.
ref: 1846, Charles Dickens, “Lyons, the Rhone, and the Goblin of Avignon”, in Pictures from Italy, London: […] Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC, page 24:
glosses: Aglow with activity or emotion.
Derived terms: set the heather alight