Etymograph

English

illuminate

Illuminate comes from Latin illūminātus ‘illuminated, brightened, having been illuminated’, from illūminō ‘lighten, light up, show off’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwksmn̥reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūmen‘light, source of light’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūminō‘light up’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminō‘lighten, light up, show off’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminātus‘illuminated, brightened, having been illuminated’perfect passive participle of illūminō
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500illuminaten
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1886illuminate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwksmn̥reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūmen‘light, source of light’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūminō‘light up’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminō‘lighten, light up, show off’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminātus‘illuminated, brightened, having been illuminated’perfect passive participle of illūminō
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500illuminaten
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1886illuminate

Earliest quotation: 1886, – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard: “Nero illuminated his gardens with live Christians soaked in…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’

light, low, link, los, lucy, ounce, lea, lunar, luna, lux, lucid, translucent, lynx, luce, loach, lune, leucine, lum, luminary, 76 more

through Latin lūmen ‘light, source of light’

lumen, luminous, luminosity, lumia, luminescent, luminal, 20 more

Another origin of illuminate

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwksmn̥reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūmen‘light, source of light’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūminō‘light up’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminō
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminātus‘illuminated, brightened, having been illuminated’
  8. Englishtodayilluminate

For sense 3, see also Lumières.

Today it means

verb To shine light on something.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / illuminate

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