English
feather-light
From feather (noun) + light (“little weight”, adjective).
Formed from feather + light ‘little weight’
Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fly’
…
Proto-Germanic *feþrō
Proto-West Germanic *feþru
Old English feþer
Middle English fethere ‘a wing feather’
English feather
Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘to shine’
…
Proto-Germanic *leuhtą
Proto-West Germanic *leuht ‘light’
Old English lēoht
Middle English light ‘light, illumination’
English light
Today it means
adj Extremely light; light as a feather.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / feather-light