English
limn
Limn comes from Old French enluminer ‘to brighten, light up’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *lewk-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwksmn̥reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūmen‘light, source of light’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūminō‘light up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminō‘to brighten, light up’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enluminer‘to brighten, light up’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500limnen
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1627limn
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwksmn̥reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūmen‘light, source of light’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūminō‘light up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEillūminō‘to brighten, light up’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enluminer‘to brighten, light up’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500limnen
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1627limn
Earliest quotation: a. 1627, Francis Bacon, [Poems Found among the Papers of Sir Henry Wotton.] The Worl: “Who then to frail Mortality ſhall truſt, / But…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’
low, light, los, link, lucy, ounce, lunar, luna, lea, lux, lucid, translucent, lynx, luce, lum, lune, loach, leucine, luminary, 74 more
through Latin lūmen ‘light, source of light’
luminous, lumen, luminosity, lumia, luminescent, luminal, 18 more
through Latin illūminō ‘to brighten, light up’
Today it means
verb To draw or paint; to delineate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / limn