Umbra
/ˈʌm.brə/noun
A shadow or dark area, especially the fully shaded inner region of a shadow.
Did you know?Umbra comes from Latin, and its deeper Indo-European root is tied to shadow and shade; that same root also lives in words like “umbrella,” originally a little shade-maker.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂egʷʰ-
“a root associated with covering or darkening; ultimately behind Latin shadow-words”
Latin
Latin
umbra
“shade, shadow, darkness”
Late Latin
Latin
umbra
“shadow; also a ghostly shade or apparition”
Old French
Old French
ombre
“shadow”
Middle English
English
umbra / umber
“shadow; later a technical term for the dark central part of a shadow”
Modern English
English
umbra
“the darkest central part of a shadow, especially in an eclipse”
Explore more surprising origins