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Might vs Wight - What's the difference?

might | wight |

As nouns the difference between might and wight

is that might is (uncountable) power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group while wight is (archaic) a living creature, especially a human being.

As adjectives the difference between might and wight

is that might is mighty; powerful; possible while wight is (archaic except in dialects ) brave, valorous, strong.

As a verb might

is (lb) used to indicate conditional or possible actions.

might

English

(wikipedia might)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) might, myghte, (also maught, macht, maht), from (etyl) miht, mieht, meaht, .

Noun

(-)
  • (uncountable) Power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group.
  • (uncountable) Physical strength.
  • He pushed with all his might , but still it would not move.
  • (uncountable) The ability to do something.
  • Adjective

    (er)
  • Mighty; powerful; possible.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) meahte, from magan, whence English may.

    Verb

    (head)
  • (lb) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.
  • :
  • * Bishop Joseph Hall
  • The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should.
  • *
  • *:“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=David Simpson
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=36, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Fantasy of navigation , passage=It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next;
  • (lb) (may) Used to indicate permission in past tense.
  • :
  • (lb) (may) Used to indicate possibility in past tense.
  • :
  • *, chapter=1
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.}}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
    Conjugation
    * archaic second-person singular simple past - mightest * nonstandard, archaic third-person singular simple past - mighteth

    See also

    * could *

    wight

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) . See also (l). The meaning of the wraith-like creature is from barrow-wights in world.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) A living creature, especially a human being.
  • * circa 1602 , , act 1, scene 3:
  • O base Hungarian wight ! wilt thou the spigot wield?
  • * 1626 , , verse vi
  • Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight
    And why from us so quickly thou didst take thy flight.
  • (paganism) A being of one of the Nine Worlds of heathen belief, especially a nature spirit, elf or ancestor.
  • (poetic) A ghost or other supernatural entity.
  • * 1789 , , lines 14-15-16
  • But I saw a glow-worm near,
    Who replied: ‘What wailing wight
    Calls the watchman of the night?
  • (fantasy) A wraith-like creature.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) Merriam-Webster, 1974..

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (archaic except in dialects ) Brave, valorous, strong.
  • *:
  • *:I haue two sones that were but late made knyghtes / and the eldest hyghte sir Tirre // and my yongest sone hyght Lauayne / and yf hit please yow / he shalle ryde with yow vnto that Iustes / and he is of his age x stronge and wyght
  • Strong; stout; active.
  • See also

    * Isle of Wight