awiht

Old English

Alternative forms

• ōwiht

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aiwwiht. Equivalent to ā +‎ wiht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːˌwixt/,

Pronoun

āwiht n

1. anything, something
   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History:

     “Mīn fæder, mōt iċ þē āwihtes āscian?” Cwæþ hē, “Āsca þæs þe þū wille.”

     “My father, can I ask you something?”
     He said, “Ask whatever you want.”

Declension

Adverb

āwiht

1. at all
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Gyf þonne ǣfre gebyreð þæt þū þē ful hālne and ful trumne ongytst, and hæafst æalle þīne frēond myd þē, ǣġðer ge on mōde ge on līchaman, and on ðām ilcan worce and on ðām ylcan willum ðe ðē best lyst dōn, hweðer þū ðonne wille bēon āwiht blīðe?

     If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, both in mind and in body, and in that same work and in that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then be happy at all?

Derived terms

• nāwiht

Descendants

• Middle English: ought, ouȝt, eawiht, aht, aught, auht, aut
  • English: ought, aught, owt
  • Scots: owt
  • Yola: aught, aaght