Middle English Dictionary Entry

light n.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms light n. Also lighte, liȝt(e, lijȝt, liȝht(e, liȝth, ligt(te, ligth, liht(e, lith(e, litht, līte, lit(te, (early) lichte, lict, licth, liste, (errors) licch, liȝst, ligh & leght, leight, leiȝt, leiȝth, (early) leoht, leocht, loht.
Etymology OE; cp. A lēht, WS lēoht. Forms in i are due chiefly to LOE - early ME palatal umlaut before ht, but also in part to analogy with the verb; cp. A līhtan, WS līehtan.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
(a) Light as a substance that illuminates objects or colors, light as seen or present in a condition where vision is possible; lightes leme; (b) light as one of God's creations; (c) the property of light inherent in the physical composition of a substance; potencial ~.
Show 32 Quotations
1b.
(a) The light emanating from the sun, moon, planets, stars, etc.; the light or flame of a lamp or candle; blaze of a fire; -- sometimes pl.; also fig. the loved one occupying a house; yeven ~, to emit light; shine on or for (sb.); ~ to, illuminate (sb. or sth.); (b) daylight; ~ of dai, the time of daylight, dawn, daybreak; also, day; bi (the) ~, bi ~ of dai, in daytime, by daylight; (c) in asseverations: bi this ~.
Show 70 Quotations
1c.
The light issuing from, or provided by, truth, righteousness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, etc.; ~ of conninge (grace, resoun), etc.; also, the state of intellectual enlightenment or excellence.
Show 20 Quotations
2.
(a) Intense brightness, brilliance; the dazzle or luster of a precious stone or metal; leme and ~; leme of ~ [see leme]; (b) the radiance or glory of Jesus, the Virgin, God or his countenance, angels; light of heaven or paradise, etc.; -- sometimes pl.; (c) aungel of ~ [cp. aungel 1b. (b)]; contre of ~, heaven.
Show 30 Quotations
3.
(a) A source of light; a candle, torch, lamp, etc.; a lighted signal; a heavenly body; -- sometimes coll.; also fig.; (b) a lamp or set of candles burned in church commemorating a festival or saint, in front of the cross, maintained by a guild, used in religious processions, etc.; -- sometimes coll.; (c) one of the candleholders on a candlestick or candelabrum; (d) fig. a distinguished or eminent person.
Show 33 Quotations
4.
(a) An opening in a wall through which light may penetrate; (b) any of the vertical sections between the mullions of a window [cp. dai 11.].
Show 6 Quotations
5.
The faculty of sight; the light of the eye; pl. eyes; lifes ~, life, the light of life; -- said also of a beloved person or object [see also lif la. (b)].
Show 7 Quotations
6.
(a) The condition where there is light; the state of being in public view or sight; in ~, ?clearly, plainly; comen in (to the) ~, to come into public view, appear; be revealed; comen to the ~ of oure knouleche, be disclosed to us, become known; (b) a lighted place, a place where there is daylight; the realm of light, heaven; also (in phrases only) the lighted space to be occupied or traversed by a person: stonden in ~, to take (someone's) place; obstruct or block (someone's) way; (c) a phenomenon or instance of brightness, a bright light, a flash of light, a beam of the sun; (d) lightning; ~ of thonder; leveninge ~.
Show 45 Quotations
7.
(a) Elucidation; yeven ~, to explain, elucidate; (b) guidance; inspiration; yeven ~ to, to guide (sb.); (c) a source of inspiration, guide, shining light; one who enlightens; ~ of the world, Christ's disciples.
Show 10 Quotations
8.
Fig. (a) Power; (b) joy, happiness; (c) ?safety, preservation.
Show 5 Quotations
9.
(a) Fig. God, Christ, the Virgin Mary, or?any supreme being; also, the faithful or righteous; ~ and leme; ~ of grace (hele), etc.; (b) the divine light or presence; salvation, grace, truth, spiritual enlightenment, righteousness, virtue; eche ~, eternal bliss; yeven ~, to enlighten (sb.), impart spiritual insight (to sb.); (c) insight, perspicacity; also, the capacity for rational understanding or judgment; natural ~; (d) fader of light(es, lord of ~, God; lanterne of ~, the Virgin Mary; piler of ~, St. Peter; child (son) of ~, the faithful, the righteous, a believer.
Show 58 Quotations
10.
Cpds. and combs. (a) ~ barn (bere, berend, berer), the angel Lucifer; (b) ~ bem, a ray of light; ~ fat, a lamp or lantern; ~ fates mouth, an epithet of the apostle Philip; an apostle; (c) ~ makere (yevere), a source of light; a heavenly body; (d) ~ man, one who collects the ~ silver for the church; ~ silver, a rent for providing lights in the church; (e) ~ yeving, lighting, illumination; (f) candel ~ [see candel 2. (c)]; dai ~, daies ~, even ~, q.v.; herte ~ [see herte 2a. (c)]; heven ~ [see heven 7. (d)]; laumpe ~ [see laumpe]; mone ~, morwe-tide ~ [see mone, morwe]; oure ladi ~ [see ladie 4. (f)]; rode ~, sterre ~, q.v.; taper ~, thonder ~, torche ~, tortis ~, trendel ~ [see taper, thonder, torche, tortis, trendel].
Show 20 Quotations
11.
In surnames.
Show 2 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)538/14 : The veynes þe whiche ben late blode in men ben 33..In the hede ben xiii: two behynde þe eres, two in þe corners of the eyȝen, two holwe veynes, and two of þe hattrelle, þe veyne of þe forhede, þe veyne of þe liȝte [*Ch.(1): one of þe puppe; L pup(p)is], þe veyne of the nose, þe two veynes vnder þe tonge.
    • Note: Though the Latin (correctly rendered by Ch.(1) [see MED pǒupe n.(2), sense (b): "the rear part of the head."]) should mean "the posterior part of the head, occiput," and the corresponding vein, veine of the ~, "the occipital vein," the translator's use of 'light' in this circumstance "remains unexplained" (Norri). Perhaps the Ch.(2) translator was faced with slightly variant text, or misunderstood 'pupis' to mean 'eye' or 'pupil of the eye' (i.e. Latin 'pupula' or 'pupa' (post-classical, Lewis & Short)), the more readily as the word appears in a sequence between 'nose' and 'forehead': "vena frontis, vena pupis, vena nasi." If so, the example is not so extraordinary and belongs to sense 5.: "The faculty of sight..pl. eyes."
    Note: See J. Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. light: "In the sense 'lungs,' substantival use of adj. light 'of little weight'. "
    Note:

©2024 Regents of the University of Michigan. For details about this collection's copyright see the MEC copyright statement and the U-M Library Copyright Policy. Data last refreshed Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 06:46:00.