Lyst

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a desire or craving for something ; a longing or wish to have or do something ; an old-fashioned way to express appetite or eagerness
2. A historical word indicating intense yearning or hunger ; a strong inclination or passion towards an object or activity ; a quaint expression of wanting or needing something deeply
3. A rarely used or obsolete word denoting an eager wish or appetite ; a fervent desire or enthusiasm for a particular thing ; a classical form to describe personal cravings or wishes

Etymology: Before "lust" came to mean sexual craving, it meant something much milder: simply pleasure or desire. In Old English, "lust" could describe delight in a good meal or a fine view as easily as a hunger of the body, and the narrowing toward the modern sense happened gradually over the Middle English period. "Lyst" is an older, spelling-variant form of that same noun, and it was used in the sense of a strong wish or inclination, the thing one set one's heart on. The noun is closely tied to a verb that has nearly vanished. Old English "lystan" meant "to please," and it was usually used impersonally: "me lyst" meant "it pleases me," or "I desire it." The verb survives today only in phrases like "as it lists you" and in the noun "list," meaning a wish or choice. So the craving in "lyst" began as something that happened to a person, a pleasure that came over them, rather than something they chose.

Synonyms: list, catalog, index, register, roll