lighter

lighter · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
2. Proto-Indo-European*lewktom
3. Proto-Germanic*leuhtą
4. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
5. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-to-s
6. Proto-Germanic*leuhtaz
7. Proto-Germanic*liuhtijaną
8. Proto-West Germanic*liuhtijan
9. Old Englishlīehtan
10. Middle Englishlighten
11. Englishlight
12. English todaylighter

From light (“to set fire to (something), ignite”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns). Light is derived from Middle English lighten, lihten (“to emit light, shine; of fire: to blaze, burn; to set fire to; etc.”), from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to give light, illuminate, shine”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *liuhtijan (“to illuminate, shine”), from Proto-Germanic *liuhtijaną (“to give light, shine”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine; to see”). cognates * Middle English lightnere, liȝtnere (“one who enlightens or illuminates”) * Middle Dutch lichtere, lichter (“one who spreads light, illuminator”) (modern Dutch lichter, luchter (“candle-holder, chandelier”))

lighter · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁lengʷʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic*linhtaz
3. Proto-Germanic*linhtijaną
4. Proto-West Germanic*lį̄htijan
5. Old Englishlīehtan
6. Middle Englishlighten
7. Middle Englishlightere
8. English todaylighter

The noun is derived from Late Middle English lighter, lightere, lyghtere (“type of barge or tender for transporting cargo”), from lighten (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend; etc.”) + -er, -ere (suffix forming agent nouns). Lighten is from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄htijan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten”), from Proto-Germanic *linhtijaną (“to reduce the weight of”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“lightweight; to move lightly or effortlessly”). By surface analysis, light (“to lighten; to unload”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns). The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch lichter (“lighter ship”) * Middle Low German lichter, lüchter, lüchtære (“small ship that lightens a load, lighter ship”) * West Frisian lichter (“lighter ship”)

lighter · adjective³

1. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
2. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-to-s
3. Proto-Germanic*leuhtaz
4. Proto-West Germanic*leuht
5. Old Englishlēoht
6. Middle Englishlight
7. Englishlight
8. English todaylighter

From light (“pale”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).

lighter · adjective⁴

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁lengʷʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic*linhtaz
3. Proto-West Germanic*lį̄ht
4. Old Englishlēoht
5. Middle Englishlight
6. Englishlight
7. English todaylighter

From light (“not heavy, weak”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).

Words from the same roots