English
lucubrate
Lucubrate comes from Latin lūcubrātus ‘made, produced or composed by night or…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-o-dʰro-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūcubrō‘to work by candlelight’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūcubrātus‘made, produced or composed by night or candlelight, having been made by candlelight’perfect passive participle of lūcubrō
- Englishtodaylucubrate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-o-dʰro-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElūcubrō‘to work by candlelight’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElūcubrātus‘made, produced or composed by night or candlelight, having been made by candlelight’perfect passive participle of lūcubrō
- Englishtodaylucubrate
first attested First attested in 1623 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin lūcubrātus, perfect passive participle of lūcubrō (‘to work by candlelight’) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from lūx (‘light’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’
light, low, link, los, ounce, lucy, lea, lunar, luna, illumination, lux, luminous, lynx, lumen, illuminate, lucid, translucent, luminosity, lumia, luce, loach, lum, luminescent, lune, leucine, luminary, luminal, 74 more
Today it means
verb To work diligently by artificial light; to study at night.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / lucubrate