Luminance
/ˈluː.mɪ.nəns/noun
The intensity of light emitted from a surface per unit area in a given direction.
Did you know?The root 'lum' is connected to the Latin for 'light', and its magical associations trace back to rituals invoking illumination and enlightenment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewk-
“to shine or be light”
Latin
Latin
lumen
“light, source of light”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
luminosus
“full of light, shining”
17th Century
English
luminance
“the quality of being bright or radiant, introduced in the context of optics and physics”
Explore more surprising origins