Light is native, Old English leoht, with relatives across Germanic — German Licht, Dutch licht, Gothic liuhaþ — from an Indo-European root meaning "light, brightness" that also gives Latin lux and Greek leukos.
The gh is the point of interest, and its explanation is a small surprise: it was an Anglo-French scribal attempt to write a Germanic hard h sound that English had and French did not. So the digraph is a French solution to an English problem, applied to a thoroughly English word — and the sound it was invented to record has since disappeared entirely from this word. Night, might, bright and sight all carry the same fossil. The figurative spiritual sense of light was already there in Old English; in light of, meaning from a certain point of view, is from the 1680s.
light (n.) "brightness, radiant energy, that which makes things visible," Old English leht (Anglian), leoht (West Saxon), "light, daylight; spiritual illumination," from Proto-Germanic *leukhtam (source also of Old Saxon lioht , Old Frisian liacht , Middle Dutch lucht , Dutch licht , Old High German lioht , German Licht , Gothic liuhaþ "light"), from PIE root *leuk- "light, brightness." The -gh- was an Anglo-French scribal attempt to render the Germanic hard -h- sound, which has since disappeared from this word. The meaning "something used for igniting" is from 1680s. The sense of "a consideration which puts something in a certain view" (as in in light of ) is from 1680s. As short for traffic light from 1938. The figurative spiritual sense was in Old English; the sense of "mental illumination" is recorded by mid-15c. Quaker use is by 1650s; New Light / Old Light in church doctrine also is from 1650s. Omnia, quae sunt, lumina sunt [Scotus Erigena (810?-877?) "All things that are, are light"] The meaning "person eminent or conspicuous" is from 1590s. A source of joy or delight has been the light of (someone's) eyes since Old English: Ðu eart dohtor min, minra eagna leoht [Juliana]. Phrases such as according to (one's) lights "to the best of one's natural or acquired capacities" preserve an older sense attested from 1520s. To figuratively stand in (someone's) light is from late 14c. To see the light "come into the world" is from 1680s; later as "come to full realization" (1812). The rock concert light-show is from 1966. To be out like a light "suddenly or completely unconscious" is from 1934. light (adj.1) "not heavy, having little actual weight," from Old English leoht (West Saxon), leht (Anglian), "not heavy, light in weight; lightly constructed; easy to do, trifling; quick, agile," also of food, sleep, etc., from Proto-Germanic *lingkhtaz (source also of Old Norse lettr , Swedish lätt , Old Frisian, Middle Dutch licht , German leicht , Gothic leihts ), from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight." The adverb is Old English leohte , from the adjective. Meaning "frivolous" is from early 13c.; that of "unchaste" from late 14c., both from the notion of "lacking moral gravity" (compare levity ). Of literature from 1590s. Light industry (1919) makes use of relatively lightweight materials. The notion in make light of (1520s) is "unimportance." Alternative spelling lite , the darling of advertisers, is first recorded 1962. Light horse "light armed cavalry" is from 1530s. Light-skirts "woman of easy virtue" is attested from 1590s. Lighter-than-air (adj.) is from 1887. light (v.1) "to touch down," as a bird from flight, "get down or descend," as a person from horseback, from Old English lihtan "to alight; to alleviate, make less heavy," from Proto-Germanic *linkhtijan , literally "to make light," from *lingkhtaz "not heavy" (see light (adj.1)). Apparently the etymological sense is "to dismount" (a horse, etc.), and thus relieve it of one's weight." Alight has become the more usual word. To light on "happen upon, come upon" is from late 15c. To light out "leave hastily, decamp" is 1866, from a nautical meaning "move out, move heavy objects" (1841), a word of unknown origin but perhaps belonging to this word (compare lighter (n.1)). light (v.2) "to shed light; set on fire," Middle English lighten , from late Old English lihtan (Anglian), liehtan (West Saxon), originally transitive, "ignite, set on fire," also in a spiritual sense, "illuminate, fill with brightness." It is common Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon liohtian , Old High German liuhtan , German leuchten , Gothic liuhtjan "to light"), from the source of light (n.). The meaning "furnish light for" is from c. 1200; the sense of "emit light, shed light, shine" is from c. 1300. Words in IE language for "begin a fire" are mostly connected with words for "burn," "blaze," "flame" (Balto-Slavic, etc.). Latin accendere (source of Spanish encender ) is from candere "to shine"). But some mean "make light," or are extended from words for "grasp, seize" (English catch fire ; Greek aptō "fasten, join, attach, grasp, touch," also "light, kindle, set on fire, catch on fire"). Buck writes that English light is "much more common than kindle even with fire, and only light , not kindle , with candle, lamp, pipe, etc." To light up is from c. 1200 as "give light to" (a room, etc.); 1861 in reference to a pipe, cigar, etc. Related: Lighted ; lighting . light (adj.2) "not dark," Old English leoht (West Saxon), leht (Anglian), "luminous, bright, beautiful, shining; having much light," from Proto-Germanic *leuhta- (source also of Old Saxon and Old High German lioht , Old Frisian liacht , German licht "bright"), from the source of Old English leoht (see light (n.)). Meaning "pale-hued" is from 1540s; prefixed to other color adjectives from early 15c. In earlier Middle English in reference to colors it meant "bright, vivid" (early 14c.).
light came in through Old English, and its spelling follows that family's conventions.
How that family writes these sounds
| a vowel that runs longer than it should, before nothing you can hear | gh — silent, or said as flight, night, daughter, enough |
What gives it away on the page
| gh | Stands for a throat sound (like the ch in Bach) that English later dropped or turned into f.light, thought, plough, enough |
Old English in the spelling guide · guess another word's family