Forms: 1 beorhte, 2–4 brihte, briȝte. [from the adj. with adverbial -e, through the loss of which it was, c. 1400, levelled with the adj.]
1. = BRIGHTLY.
a. 1000. Beowulf, 3039. Geseah blacne leoman beorhte scinan.
a. 1000. Metr. Boeth., xxxvii. § 2. Ða godan scinað beorhtor þonne sunne.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2138. [Hit] swiþe brihhte shineþþ.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8295. Þis angel þat sa bright[e] scan.
1340. Ayenb., 156. Grat nyed þet þe man yzy bryte ane his left half.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 163. ffor sekyrly his face schon so bryhte.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., V. i. 1. The moone shines bright.
1827. Keble, Chr. Year, All Saints vi. The spires that glow so bright. Ibid., S. Peter xiv. He dreams he sees a lamp flash bright.
† b. Clearly, ringingly. Obs.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1656. Heo … song so schille and so brihte.
2. Comb., as bright-beaming, -burning, -shining, † -splendent. It blends with the adj. in such as bright-dyed, -tinted, which may be analysed as bright(ly) + tinted, or bright tint + -ed. See BRIGHT a. 10.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., III. i. 69. What foole hath … brought a faggot to bright burning Troy?
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., vii. 47. The … situation of bright-splendent Rome.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., V. iii. 3. This bright-shining day.
1795. Burns, ‘Their groves o’ sweet myrtle,’ i. Where bright-beaming summers exalt the perfume.
