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

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

Initially, it meant 'to descend or dismount,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.