'alight' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'ālīhtan,' where 'ā-' meant 'off' and 'līhtan' meant 'to make light or to descend.'

'ālīhtan' transformed into the Middle English word 'alighten,' and eventually became the modern English word 'alight.'

Initially, it meant 'to make light or to descend,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to descend from a vehicle or to land.'