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#126774 04/01/2004 2:23 PM
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As an example of Today's Word, gadzookery, "wight" is
said to mean "brave". I couldn't find that definition:
Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Wight\, n.
Weight. [Obs.]


\Wight\, n. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht,
wuht, a creature, a thing; akin to D. wicht a child, OS. &
OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel.
v[ae]tt? a wight, v[ae]tt? a whit, Goth. wa['i]hts, wa['i]ht,
thing; cf. Russ. veshche a thing. ?. Cf. {Whit}.]
1. A whit; a bit; a jot. [Obs.]

She was fallen asleep a little wight. --Chaucer.

2. A supernatural being. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

3. A human being; a person, either male or female; -- now
used chiefly in irony or burlesque, or in humorous
language. ``Worst of all wightes.'' --Chaucer.

Every wight that hath discretion. --Chaucer.

Oh, say me true if thou wert mortal wight. --Milton.


\Wight\, a. [OE. wight, wiht, probably of Scand. origin;
cf. Icel. v[=i]gr in fighting condition, neut. v[=i]gh ???
v[=i]g war, akin to AS. w[=i]g See {Vanquish}.]
Swift; nimble; agile; strong and active. [Obs. or Poetic]

'T is full wight, God wot, as is a roe. --Chaucer.

He was so wimble and so wight. --Spenser.

They were Night and Day, and Day and Night, Pilgrims
wight with steps forthright. --Emerson.






#126775 04/01/2004 2:29 PM
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Viz. to wit a wight. Twit? Two wrights coop a tun of sack.


#126776 04/01/2004 2:54 PM
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"wight" is said to mean "brave".

I was wondering about that myself.


#126777 04/01/2004 3:06 PM
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I thought wight meant soul as in person. But, M-W lists it as an adjective meaning valiant, stalwart. Two more deprecated lexical items.


#126778 04/01/2004 7:55 PM
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>I thought wight meant soul as in person.

That was the only definition I knew, too, thanks to JRR's barrow-wights.


#126779 04/01/2004 8:28 PM
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I have never seen "wight" used as an adjective.


#126780 04/01/2004 8:37 PM
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According to AHD4 they're not even the same word

Noun: http://www.bartleby.com/61/25/W0152500.html

Adjective: http://www.bartleby.com/61/26/W0152600.html


#126781 04/02/2004 1:30 AM
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not even the same word ...And there was pandemonium in the isles...




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