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35,981 English word records · 45,491 etymology sections in this online subset
PARTIAL ENGLISH COVERAGE · FULL CORPUS REMAINS LOCAL5 source sections across 1 headword matching “Lit”. These are separate from the reviewed results below.
litEnglish (en) · Etymology 1Source text
Alteration of earlier light, from Middle English lighte, from Old English līhtte, first and third person singular preterite of līhtan (“to light”), by analogy with bit. More at light; compare fit (“fought”). This form was proscribed during the 18th and 19th centuries, with lighted being preferred, but is now the most common past form of light.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗litEnglish (en) · Etymology 2Source text
From Middle English lit, lut, from Old English lȳt (“little, few”), from Proto-Germanic *lūtilaz (“little, small”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewd- (“to cower, hunch over”). Cognate with Old Saxon lut (“little”), Middle High German lützen (“to make small or low, decrease”). More at little.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗litEnglish (en) · Etymology 3Source text
From Middle English lit, from Old Norse litr (“colour, dye, complexion, face, countenance”), from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlitaz (“sight, face”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to see”). Cognate with Icelandic litur (“colour”), Old English wlite (“brightness, appearance, form, aspect, look, countenance, beauty, splendor, adornment”), Old English wlītan (“to gaze, look, observe”).
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗litEnglish (en) · Etymology 4Source text
From Middle English litten, liten, from Old Norse lita (“to colour”), from litr (“colour”). See above.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗litEnglish (en) · Etymology 5Source text
Short for literature.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗INDEPENDENT SOURCE LIBRARY
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