flight
UK[flaɪt]US[flaɪt]
n
The action or process of flying through the air.
n
A journey made by air, especially in an aircraft with scheduled times.
n
The act of running away or escaping from danger or an unpleasant situation.
Morpheme Breakdown
fli
ght
fli
to fly
ght
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'flight' has a dual lineage in modern English, stemming from two distinct Old English words that converged in form. Its primary meaning relating to flying descends from 'flyht', a noun derived from the verb 'flēogan' (to fly). A secondary meaning of escape comes from 'fliht', related to the verb 'flēon' (to flee). Both Proto-Germanic sources, fleugan- (to fly) and fleuhan- (to flee), likely share a common Proto-Indo-European root pleu- meaning 'to flow, to run', which conceptually extended to rapid motion through air or away from danger. Over time, the spelling and pronunciation of these two nouns merged into the single form 'flight', preserving both streams of meaning connected by the core idea of swift movement.
Analysis
Structure: fli (to fly) + ght (noun suffix)
The morpheme 'fli' originates from the Old English verb 'flēogan', meaning 'to fly'. The '-ght' is a common noun-forming suffix in English, often derived from Old English '-ht', indicating a state, action, or result.
Examples
The bird's graceful flight captivated the onlookers.
We have a connecting flight to Chicago at noon.
The thief took flight as soon as the alarm sounded.