Afright
/əˈfraɪt/noun
An archaic or dialectal adverb meaning "in fear" or "afraid."
Did you know?Afright is a fossil of older English fear-language, built from the same Germanic roots that gave us fright and frighten, words tied to sudden shock and panic rather than slow worry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*preyḱ-
“to be in danger, fear”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*frīþaz / *frīktaną
“fear; to frighten”
Old English
English
on frīhte
“in fear, afraid”
Middle English
English
afright
“afraid, in fear”
Modern English
English
afright
“archaic or dialectal: in fear”