Nitency
/ˈnaɪ.tən.si/noun
The quality or state of being bright, lustrous, or shining.
Did you know?Nitency comes from Latin nītēre, “to shine,” the same root behind nitidus, meaning bright or gleaming, which later helped produce English words connected with neatness and polish.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nei-
“To shine or be bright”
Classical Latin
Latin
nītēre
“To shine, gleam, or be brilliant”
Classical Latin
Latin
nitēns
“Shining, gleaming, or brilliant”
16th–17th Century
English
nitent
“Shining or bright”
17th Century
English
nitency
“Brightness, luster, or the quality of shining”
Modern English
English
nitency
“Brilliance or visible radiance”