Where does “fluorescence” come from?

Fluorescence comes from English fluor- combined with the suffix -escence, which derives from Latin -esco, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewk- meaning to shine.

fluorescence (English): The emission of light by a material when...

Definitions

  1. The emission of light by a material when...

Ancestry of “fluorescence”, step by step

fluorescence traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English fluorspar

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfluorsparA halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride
2EnglishfluoriteA widely occurring mineral comprising calcium fluoride plus or minus impurities, of various colours, used as a flux in steelmaking, and in the manufacture of glass, enamels and hydrofluoric acid
3English-iteUsed to form nouns denoting followers or...
4French-itéAlternative form of -té, giving a quality or...
5Latin-īta
6Ancient Greek-ίτηςSuffix forming a masculine noun: one connected...
7Ancient Greekπολῑ́τηςcitizen
8Ancient Greek-τηςForms nouns representing a state of being; Added...
9Proto-Hellenic-tāts
10Proto-Indo-European-teh₂tsUsed to form nouns representing state of being
11Proto-Indo-European-teh₂Used to form nouns representing state of being
12Proto-Indo-European-tósCreates verbal adjectives from verb stems

via English fluoresce

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfluoresceTo emit electromagnetic radiation, especially...

Words derived from “fluorescence

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tós