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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

fight

/faɪt/
To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
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    • meaning component
    • sound component
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English fighten (“to fight”), from Old English feohtan (“to fight, combat, strive”), from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan (“to fight”), from Proto-Germanic *fehtaną (“to comb, tease, shear, struggle with”), from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (“to comb, shear”).

    Cognate with Scots fecht (“to fight”), West Frisian fjochtsje, fjuchte (“to fight”), Dutch vechten (“to fight”), Low German fechten (“to fight”), German fechten (“to fence”), Danish fægte (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons)”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk fekte (“to fence”), Swedish fäkta (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons), to wave vigorously (and carelessly) with one's arms”), Latin pectō (“comb, thrash”, verb), Albanian pjek (“to hit, strive, fight”), Ancient Greek πέκω (pékō, “comb or card wool”, verb). Related also to Old English feht (“wool, shaggy pelt, fleece”).

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English fight, feyght, fiȝt, fecht, from Old English feoht, ġefeoht (“fight”), from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan (“to fight”), from Proto-Germanic *fehtą, *gafehtą (“fight, struggle”), from Proto-Germanic *fehtaną (“to struggle with”). Cognate with Dutch gevecht (“fight”), German Gefecht (“fight”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*peḱ- (pluck)
    • inheritedMiddle Englishfighten “to fight”
      • inheritedOld Englishfeohtan “to fight, combat, strive”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*fehtan “to fight”
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*fehtaną “to comb, tease, shear, struggle with”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*peḱ- “to comb, shear”
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*fehtą
    • inheritedMiddle Englishfight
      • inheritedOld Englishfeoht

    Related: Scots fecht, West Frisian fjochtsje, Dutch vechten, Low German fechten, German fechten, Danish fægte, nb,nn fekte, Swedish fäkta, Latin pectō, Albanian pjek, Ancient Greek πέκω, Old English feht, Dutch gevecht, German Gefecht

    Words built on it: 揮, fighting

    Meanings

    verb
    1. To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.
    2. To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare, a cause, etc.).
    3. To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle, etc.
    4. To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle, etc.
    5. To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.
    6. To strive for something; to campaign or contend for success.
    noun
    1. An occasion of fighting.
    2. A battle between opposing armies.
    3. A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.
    4. A boxing or martial arts match.
    5. A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.
    6. The will or ability to fight.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: fight