English

glow-in-the-dark

From glow + in + the + dark.

A compound of glow + in + the + dark

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleh₁- ‘to shine, glow’

Middle English glouen

English glow

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’

Proto-Germanic *in

Proto-West Germanic *in

Old English in

Middle English in ‘inside’

English in

Proto-Indo-European *tód

Proto-Germanic *þa

Old English þē ‘the’

Middle English þe

English the

Proto-West Germanic *derk

Old English deorc

Middle English derk

English dark

Today it means

adj glowing; glowy (especially luminescently or fluorescently or iridescently in contrast to relatively dark surroundings)

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / glow-in-the-dark