Lux
/lʊks/noun
A unit of illuminance equal to one lumen per square meter.
Did you know?The Latin lux means “light,” and it became one of the most powerful symbolic roots in Western language, feeding words for brilliance, visibility, and even the “light-bearer” image later attached to Lucifer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine; brightness, light”
Latin
Latin
lux
“light”
Latin
Latin
lūmen
“light, lamp, opening for light”
Old French
Old French
luxure
“richness, sumptuousness; later excess, sensuality”
Middle English
English
lux
“light (learned borrowing, rare)”
Modern English
English
lux
“a unit of illuminance”
Explore more surprising origins