English
glisten
Glisten comes from Old English glisnian ‘to glisten’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- ‘to shine’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰley-‘to shine’root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*glisnōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*glisnōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150glisnian‘to glisten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500glisnen
- Englishearliest quotation 1899glisten
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰley-‘to shine’root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*glisnōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*glisnōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150glisnian‘to glisten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500glisnen
- Englishearliest quotation 1899glisten
Earliest quotation: 1899, Joseph Conrad, The Heart of Darkness: “The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- ‘to shine’
Today it means
verb To reflect light with a glittering luster; to sparkle, coruscate, glint or flash.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- / glisten