lyft

_Aloft -- on the loft, on luft, on lyft; lyft_ being the Anglo-Saxon word for _air_ or _clouds.

English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Samuel Kirkham

Presumably 'lyft' survives in 'loft' and related words.

Litha (June): the early English calendar Carla 2008

The Old English word 'lyft' is translated as 'air, sky, clouds, atmosphere' so covers both meanings.

Litha (June): the early English calendar Carla 2008

\ "In E n g l i s h, left c o m e s from the A n g l o - S a x o n lyft, meaning \" weak\ "or \" worthless.

Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

Caterfly duz nawt knoe wevver tuu purrrr oar haz lyft-aowf;

went 2 bed caterpiller… - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

Afture a minnit oar soe, her wil hav lyft-awf adn becum air-boarn;

One day I become shedding, bad-tempered butterfly. - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

Butt haow teh hek dyd teh goatses geddup taht tree; wif a fourk-lyft?

dude, dat spider wuz huge - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

Modern English 'loft' and 'lift' are both derived from 'lyft' according to the Concise Oxford.

Litha (June): the early English calendar Carla 2008

I suppose that's another example of language drift, like 'travel'. 'lyft' meant 'air' or 'sky', but managed to give rise to words that mean 'to raise up' and 'upper room', presumably via something like 'high' or 'above'.

Litha (June): the early English calendar Carla 2008

Also available in just three weeks time at WorldCon will be the spiffing Nova Scotia anthology edited by fellow GSFWC member (that's pronounced "gesifwic", btw, like some strange Old English verb -- þuhte me þaet Ic gesifwic syllicre treow on lyft laedan!), Neil Williamson and Edinburgh-based Writer's Bloc stalwart Andrew J. Wilson.

Archive 2005-07-01 Hal Duncan 2005