drighten

Meaning

Noun

• A lord; ruler; chief; leader; prince.
• The Lord; Lord God; Christ.

Origin

• From Middle English drihten, from Old English dryhten, from Proto-Germanic *druhtinaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ-, equivalent to dright + -en. Cognate with Scots drichtin, drichtine, and with Old Frisian drochten ("lord"), Old Saxon drohtin, Old High German truhtin, Middle High German truhten, trohten (dialectal German Trechtin, Trechtein), Danish drot, Swedish drott, Icelandic dróttinn ("hero, ruler, lord"), Finnish ruhtinas ("sovereign prince"). Related also to Old English dryht, Old English ġedryht, Old English drēogan. More at dree.