Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “translucent” come from?

Translucent comes from Latin translucens, the present participle of translucere, meaning to shine through, from lucere (to shine) and lux (light), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewk- (to shine or be bright).

translucent (English): Allowing light to pass through, but diffusing it;...

Definitions

  1. Allowing light to pass through, but diffusing it;...

Ancestry of “translucent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintranslucens
2LatintransluceoI shine across; I shine or show through; I am...
3Latinlūceō—
4Proto-Italicloukeōcause to emit light, cause to shine, ignite
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlowkéye-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see

Words derived from “translucent”

  • translucently
  • semitranslucent
  • subtranslucent
  • nontranslucent
  • papulotranslucent
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →