Obscure
/əbˈskjʊr/noun
Not clearly seen or understood; hidden or indistinct.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor obscūrus could mean both “dark” and “dim, unclear,” showing how ancient languages linked physical shadow with mental uncertainty.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skeu-
“to cover, conceal”
Latin
Latin
obscūrāre
“to darken, conceal”
Late Latin
Latin
obscūrus
“dark, dim, obscure”
Old French
Old French
obscur
“dark, dim, hidden”
14th Century
English
obscure
“dark, indistinct, hard to understand”
Modern English
English
obscure
“not clearly seen or understood”