blight etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: blīte, from Old English blīht ("joyful, cheerful, gracious")
• Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *blīþaz ("happy, joyful")

Meaning:

• A destructive plant disease, usually caused by a fungus or bacterium, that causes plants to wither and die
• A disfigurement or defect that spoils something

Origin:

The word "blight" originally meant "joy" or "cheerfulness" in Old English. However, by the 14th century, it had taken on the meaning of "a destructive disease in plants." This shift in meaning may have been influenced by the observation that plants that are affected by blight often appear withered and lifeless, like a person who is unhappy.

The word "blight" is also used figuratively to describe something that has a destructive or damaging effect. For example, someone might say that a particular policy or decision has "blighted" the economy.

blight relate terms

• bleach

  Etymology of Bleach The word bleach originates from the Old English term blēcan w

• black

  Etymology The word black is derived from the Old English word blac which is cognate

• shine

  Etymology Old English scīnan verb Proto Germanic skīnanan verb Proto Indo Europe

• bleak

  Etymology Old English blǣc pale dark black Meaning Unrelievedly depress

• blighter

  Etymology Middle English blithere comparative of blith cheerful Meaning and Ori

• blight

  Etymology Middle English blīte from Old English blīht joyful cheerful gracious

• plague

  Etymology The word plague comes from the Latin word plaga which means blow or wo

• blasted

  Etymology The word blasted has its roots in two distinct Indo European roots Proto

• mildew

  Etymology of Mildew The word mildew is derived from the Middle English word mildewe

• influenza

  Etymology The word influenza is derived from the Italian word influenza which means

• afflict

  Etymology of Afflict Afflict originates from the Latin word affligere meaning to

• devastation

  Etymology From Old French devastation from Late Latin devastatio from the verb devast

• smite

  Etymology Origin Old English smītan Proto Germanic smītanan Proto Indo European

• canon

  Etymology The word canon originates from the Greek word kanōn meaning rule or m