dright

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɹaɪt/
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology 1

From Middle English drihte, from Old English driht, dryht (“a multitude, an army, company, body of retainers, nation, a people, men”), from Proto-West Germanic *druhti, from Proto-Germanic *druhtiz (“troop, following”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to hold, hold fast, support”).

Cognate with Old Frisian dregte (“people, crowd, escort, retinue, host”), Middle Low German drucht (“band, war-team”), Middle High German truht (“multitude, offspring”), Icelandic drótt (“people, entourage, bodyguard”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐍃 (gadrauhts, “soldier”). Related also to German Truchsess (“steward”), from Middle High German truhtsæze (“chairman of a multitude, steward”, literally “sitting one/presider next to/in front of a multitude". The meaning "multitude" survives in present day German in the sense of "representing a court”), from Old High German truhtsāzzo.

Noun

dright (plural drights)

1. (historical) A multitude; army; host.
   • 1943, ELH., volumes 10-12, page 262:

     […] and Finn's compatriots were of course his subjects; more particularly, his close associates, the members of his dright.

   • 1969, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, page 45:

     Ancient battle poems show that neither gold nor lofty cause could keep a dright's courage at the sticking point: The warriors needed to be harangued into perseverance, reminded of their obligations to the ring-giver and their ultimate rewards.

   • 2003, 1962, Albert C. Baugh, Kemp Malone, A Literary History of England:

     The king shared his goods with the dright and took them into his very household; the dright shielded him with their bodies on the field of battle, and if he fell they fought on, to victory or death, […]

Derived terms

• drightfare
• drightfolk
• drightman

Etymology 2

From Middle English dright, driȝt, earlier drihten, from Old English dryhten (“a ruler, king, lord, prince, the supreme ruler, the Lord, God, Christ”), from Proto-West Germanic *druhtin, from Proto-Germanic *druhtinaz (“leader, chief, lord”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to hold, hold fast, support”).

Cognate with Scots drichtin, drichtine (“lord, the Lord”), Old Frisian drochten (“lord”), Old Saxon drohtin (“lord”), Middle High German truhten, trohten (“ruler, lord”), Danish drot (“king”), Swedish drotten, drott (“king, ruler, sovereign”), Icelandic drottinn (“lord, master, ruler, God”), Finnish ruhtinas (“sovereign prince”). Related also to Old English dryht (“a multitude, an army, company, body of retainers, nation, a people, men”), Old English ġedryht (“fortune, fate”), Old English drēogan (“to serve in the military, endure”). More at dree.

Alternative forms

• drighten
• drightin (Scotland)

Noun

dright (plural drights)

1. Alternative form of drighten
2. A lord; ruler; chief; leader.
   • 2001, Diana Wynne Jones, The chronicles of Chrestomanci:

     "Hey, you!" Christopher called out in the most lordly way he could. "You there! Take me to the Dright at once!"

3. (often capitalised) The Lord; The Lord God; Christ.

Derived terms

• drightness
• drightful
• drightlike