† mightsomev.

Etymology: Irregularly < Old English genyhtsumian, genihtsumian to suffice, abound ( < genyhtsum adjective < genyht abundance, plenty ( < genugan to suffice: see enough adj., pron., n., and adv.) + -some suffix¹), probably after might n.¹ or might adj. (compare the variant reading mihtand mightand adj. at quot. a1400³). Compare mightsomeness n., mighthead n.In the attested examples this word renders Latin abundare , and probably arose by minim confusion < *inihtsumien , the early Middle English reflex of Old English genyhtsumian , which renders abundare at these points in several Old English psalters. (Although the prefixed early Middle English form *inihtsumien is unattested, compare the attested noun form inihstumnesse (see mightsomeness n.) and the following unprefixed example of the verb:c1175 ( Ælfric Homily in A. O. Belfour 12th Cent. Homilies in MS Bodl. 343 (1909) 140 Þa ane mon wrat ðe mihton nihtsumien [OE Corpus Cambr. 162 genihtsumian] monnum to hæle.) The Surtees Society edition (1843–7) of the text cited below gives nuhtsomed in the first passage and nughtsom in the second; these forms appear to involve editorial minim confusion, since -u- is not the expected reflex of original Old English -y- in northern Middle English.