Where does “light-bulb moment” come from?
light-bulb moment (English) comes from English moment, from Middle English moment, from Old French moment, from Latin mōmentum, from Latin mōvimentum, from Latin -mentum, from Latin -menta, from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs.
light-bulb moment (English): A moment of enlightenment, inspiration or sudden realization
Definitions
- A moment of enlightenment, inspiration or sudden realization
Ancestry of “light-bulb moment”, step by step
light-bulb moment traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English moment
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | moment | A brief, unspecified amount of time; The smallest... |
| 2 | Middle English | moment | — |
| 3 | Old French | moment | — |
| 4 | Latin | mōmentum | movement, motion, impulse; course |
| 5 | Latin | mōvimentum | movement |
| 6 | Latin | -mentum | instrument, medium, or result of; e.g.... |
| 7 | Latin | -menta | nominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |
via English light bulb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | light bulb | An evacuated glass bulb containing a metal... |
| 2 | English | Light | A place name |
| 3 | Middle English | light | The radiation which allows for vision by... |
| 4 | Old English | lēoht | luminous, bright, light, clear, resplendent,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | leuht | light, bright; light |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | leuhtą | light |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewktom | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |