English
luminescent
Luminescent comes from Latin lumen ‘light’, 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*léwksmn̥reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*louksmənreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElumen‘light’
- Englishearliest quotation 2020luminescent
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 CElumen‘light’
- Englishearliest quotation 2020luminescent
Earliest quotation: 2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became: “But this does not have the slightly yellow glow…”
Formed from -escent
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’
light, low, link, los, lucy, ounce, lunar, lea, luna, lux, lucid, lynx, translucent, luce, loach, lum, lune, leucine, 78 more
through Latin lumen ‘light’
Today it means
adj Emitting light by luminescence.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / luminescent