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Origin and history of alit

alit

poetic past tense and past participle of alight (v.).

Entries linking to alit

"to descend (from horseback, etc.), dismount," Middle English alighten, from Old English alihtan "alight," originally "to lighten, take off, take away," from a- "down, aside" (see a- (1)) + lihtan "get off, make light" (see light (v.)). The notion is of getting down off a horse or vehicle, thus lightening it. Of aircraft (originally balloons) from 1786. Related: Alighted; alighting.

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