Where does “contre-jour” come from?

contre-jour (French) comes from French jour, from Middle French jour, from Old French jor, from Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from Latin diēs, from Proto-Italic djēm, from Proto-Italic *djous — to be bright; sky, heaven.

contre-jour (French): backlighting

Definitions

  1. backlighting

Ancestry of “contre-jour”, step by step

contre-jour traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French jour

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchjourday; daylight, light; opening, aperture
2Middle Frenchjourdaylight
3Old Frenchjorday
4Latindiurnummasculine accusative singular of diurnus; neuter...
5Latindiurnusof the day; daily; day
6LatindiēsA day, particularly
7Proto-Italicdjēmaccusative singular of *djous
8Proto-Italic*djous
9Proto-Indo-Europeandyḗwssky, heaven; sky god
10Proto-Indo-Europeandyéwssky, heaven
11Proto-Indo-Europeandyew-to be bright; sky, heaven

via French contre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcontreagainst; as against; in exchange for
2Italiancontroagainst; con; counter
3Italianforzaforce; strength; !
4Latinfortianominative neuter plural of fortis; accusative...
5Latinfortisstrong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast,...
6Old Latinforctisstrong
7Proto-Italicforktisstrong, robust
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰerǵʰ-to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dyew-Every word from Proto-Indo-European dyéwsEvery word from Proto-Indo-European dyḗws