What Does The Term Wight Mean?

Wight is an old term used to refer to a human being. Today it is obsolete and archaic. This term was also used to denote any other intelligent being. It is a derivation of forms like 'was' and 'were'. A similar term Wicht is used in modern day German and denotes a small person or a dwarf. At times it is also used to indicate a person with an unpleasant countenance.

Nowadays the word Wight is found only in literary contexts which convey an impression of archaism and mystery. It is used as a comparative term to distinguish between the olden times and the modern period. For instance this term is found in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Many are also of the opinion that this term has Scandinavian origins based on Norse folklores and legends.

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