Bright
/braɪt/noun
Giving out or reflecting a lot of light; intelligent or cheerful.
Did you know?Bright comes from a Proto-Germanic root tied to shining and glittering, and its deeper relatives include words for ‘break’ and ‘burst,’ showing how light was once imagined as something that flashes open.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bheregʰ-
“to shine, flash, gleam”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*berhtaz
“bright, shining, clear”
Old English
English
beorht
“bright, radiant, clear”
Middle English
English
bright
“shining, luminous; clear, vivid”
Modern English
English
bright
“giving off or reflecting much light; intelligent or cheerful”