Two Plights: A Bad Situation and a Solemn Pledge
A plight is a difficult situation. A second plight, meaning to pledge, survives only in marriage vows.
A plight is a dangerous or difficult situation. A second word spelled identically means to pledge, and survives only in the phrase *plight your troth*. They come from different roots: the situation from a French word for a fold or condition, and the pledge from Old English *pliht*, a risk or engagement.
- A difficult situation. *The refugees' plight.*
- To pledge (archaic). *Plight your troth.*
- Troth — faith or fidelity. *Betrothal.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | plight | A desperate plight. |
| Plural | plights | Various plights. |
| Verb | plight | Plight your troth. |
| Related | troth | A pledge of troth. |
| Related | betroth | Betrothed to him. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The plight of the homeless.A difficult situation.
- Plight your troth means pledge your faith.Marriage.
- Betroth contains the same troth.Meaning truth or fidelity.
Fossil words in fixed phrases
- troth — only in plight your troth and betroth
- kith — only in kith and kin
- fro — only in to and fro
- vim — only in vim and vigour
- dudgeon — only in high dudgeon
The situation sense is from Anglo-French *plit*, a fold or condition. The pledge sense is from Old English *pliht*, danger or engagement.
Are the two plights related?
No. One comes from a French word for a fold or condition, the other from an Old English word meaning risk or pledge.
What is a fossil word?
A word surviving only within a fixed phrase, such as troth, kith or fro, having dropped out of independent use.