The word "gaslit" is a past-participle form of the verb "gaslight," which means to manipulate someone into doubting their own perceptions and beliefs. The word is spelled using the /ɪd/ past tense suffix, as in "walked" or "talked," even though the final consonant sound of "light" is a voiceless alveolar fricative /t/. This is because the base form ends in the voiced consonant /t/, and the rule for past-participle formation is to add /d/ or /t/ depending on whether the final consonant sound is voiced or voiceless, respectively.
Gaslit (verb):
The term "gaslit" refers to the act of manipulating someone's perception of reality through psychological manipulation and manipulation of facts. It is derived from the concept of gaslighting, which originates from the play "Gas Light" by Patrick Hamilton and the subsequent 1944 film adaptation.
Gaslighting entails the intentional distortion of information, leading the victim to doubt their own sanity and question their own perceptions, memories, and beliefs. The gaslit individual may be subjected to persistent denial, false accusations, inconsistencies, and subtle forms of psychological manipulation, which aims to destabilize their confidence in their own understanding of reality.
When someone is gaslit, they may gradually start to question their perceptions, develop feelings of confusion, isolation, and self-doubt, and ultimately become dependent on the gaslighter for validation and a sense of reality. The gaslit person may experience anxiety, depression, and a loss of self-esteem due to the erosion of their belief in their own judgments and instincts.
Gaslighting tactics can be employed in personal relationships, workplaces, politics, and other social settings. The manipulator may aim to gain control, exert power, or cover up their own wrongdoings by systematically undermining the victim's sense of reality.
In summary, to be "gaslit" is to be subjected to a form of psychological manipulation wherein one's perception of reality is intentionally distorted, causing doubt, confusion, and dependence on the manipulator.
The word "gaslit" is derived from "gaslight", which refers to a type of lighting commonly used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The lighting system involved burning gas, typically coal gas or natural gas, to produce light. This process was achieved by igniting the gas within a glass mantle or burner, which emitted a bright and steady illumination.
The term "gaslit" is now used metaphorically to describe a situation in which someone is manipulated or deceived to doubt their own perceptions, experiences, or sanity. It originated from the play "Gas Light" by Patrick Hamilton, first performed in 1938. The play tells the story of a husband who manipulates his wife into believing that she is going insane by dimming and brightening the gaslights in their house. This psychological manipulation is where the term "gaslighting" comes from, and "gaslit" is its past tense form.