Can you use the word alight in this way?
For as long as I can remember I've believed that the word alight could also be used to mean something like took flight, or took to the air. As in: "The bird alighted from the branch." Or: "His prayers alighted to heaven." Of course the normal usage is precisely the opposite: "The bird alighted onto the branch." But I always took this to be similar to how cleave usually means to split apart, but can also mean to come together in the right context.
Recently, I needed to use alight in this way, and on looking it up found no dictionary that supports such a usage. So while it's a little surreal to me, I'm starting to wonder if I've just been flat-out wrong about the word for however many decades. Is the word alight ever used in the above sense? If not, is there anything (an idiom, an archaic usage, etc.) that might explain where I got such a strong impression?
meaning word-usage
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For as long as I can remember I've believed that the word alight could also be used to mean something like took flight, or took to the air. As in: "The bird alighted from the branch." Or: "His prayers alighted to heaven." Of course the normal usage is precisely the opposite: "The bird alighted onto the branch." But I always took this to be similar to how cleave usually means to split apart, but can also mean to come together in the right context.
Recently, I needed to use alight in this way, and on looking it up found no dictionary that supports such a usage. So while it's a little surreal to me, I'm starting to wonder if I've just been flat-out wrong about the word for however many decades. Is the word alight ever used in the above sense? If not, is there anything (an idiom, an archaic usage, etc.) that might explain where I got such a strong impression?
meaning word-usage
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
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Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
For as long as I can remember I've believed that the word alight could also be used to mean something like took flight, or took to the air. As in: "The bird alighted from the branch." Or: "His prayers alighted to heaven." Of course the normal usage is precisely the opposite: "The bird alighted onto the branch." But I always took this to be similar to how cleave usually means to split apart, but can also mean to come together in the right context.
Recently, I needed to use alight in this way, and on looking it up found no dictionary that supports such a usage. So while it's a little surreal to me, I'm starting to wonder if I've just been flat-out wrong about the word for however many decades. Is the word alight ever used in the above sense? If not, is there anything (an idiom, an archaic usage, etc.) that might explain where I got such a strong impression?
meaning word-usage
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
New contributor
Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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For as long as I can remember I've believed that the word alight could also be used to mean something like took flight, or took to the air. As in: "The bird alighted from the branch." Or: "His prayers alighted to heaven." Of course the normal usage is precisely the opposite: "The bird alighted onto the branch." But I always took this to be similar to how cleave usually means to split apart, but can also mean to come together in the right context.
Recently, I needed to use alight in this way, and on looking it up found no dictionary that supports such a usage. So while it's a little surreal to me, I'm starting to wonder if I've just been flat-out wrong about the word for however many decades. Is the word alight ever used in the above sense? If not, is there anything (an idiom, an archaic usage, etc.) that might explain where I got such a strong impression?
meaning word-usage
meaning word-usage
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
New contributor
Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
New contributor
Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
New contributor
Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
asked 5 mins ago
FluxFlux
11
11
New contributor
Flux is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
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