Scotophore
/ˈskoʊ.tə.fɔːr/noun
A substance that becomes dark when exposed to light or other radiation.
Did you know?Scotophore was coined as a deliberate counterpart to phosphor, whose Greek roots mean “light-bearer”; both belong to the language of radiation and occult-seeming transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“To carry or bear; the ancient root behind the “-phore” element.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκότος (skotos)
“Darkness or gloom.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φέρω (pherō)
“I carry or bear; the source of the combining form “-phore.””
19th Century
Scientific Greek
σκοτοφόρος (skotophoros)
“Darkness-bearing, formed from skotos, “darkness,” and phoros, “bearing.””
20th Century
English
scotophore
“A radiation-sensitive substance that darkens when exposed to light or other radiation.”