lightening
UK[ˈlaɪtnɪŋ]US[ˈlaɪtnɪŋ]
n
The process of making something less dark in color.
n
The process of making something less heavy or burdensome.
v
(present participle) Making something lighter in weight or color; making something less dark, heavy, or severe.
Morpheme Breakdown
lighten
ing
lighten
to make light
ing
suffix forming noun/participle
Etymology
The word 'lightening' is a transparent English formation built upon the core adjective 'light', which has a dual heritage in Old English. One stream, from Proto-Germanic 'lingkhtaz' and ultimately Proto-Indo-European 'le(n)gwh-' ('not heavy, agile'), gives the sense of low weight. The other, from Proto-Germanic 'leuhtaz' and PIE 'leuk-' ('light, brightness'), gives the sense of illumination. The verb 'lighten' was created by adding the causative/factitive suffix '-en' to 'light', meaning 'to make light' in either sense. The addition of the '-ing' suffix then creates a noun denoting the process or result of that action. Thus, 'lightening' logically encapsulates the act of reducing either physical weight or visual darkness, a meaning directly composed from its constituent morphemes.
Analysis
Structure: lighten (to make light) + ing (suffix forming noun/participle)
- lighten: Derived from the English word 'light' (from Old English 'lēoht', meaning 'not heavy' or 'bright') combined with the verbal suffix '-en' (from Old English '-nian', meaning 'to make or become').
- ing: A suffix from Old English '-ung' or '-ing', used to form nouns from verbs (gerund) or present participles.
Examples
She considered lightening her hair for the summer.
The lightening of his workload significantly improved his mood.
The sky was lightening in the east, signaling the dawn.