Today's Word "Penumbra"
Published in Vocabulary
penumbra \peh-NEHM-breh\ (noun) - 1 : A partial shadow, especially when appearing between a complete shadow and bright light, as you might see on the moon's surface during an eclipse; 2 : a surrounding area in which something is weaker, attenuated, or exists to a reduced degree.
"Courtney is a shady lady who has worked in the penumbra of legality most of her life, never quite provoking the legal system into action."
Today's word comes from New Latin "penumbra," combined from paene "almost" + umbra "shadow." The prefix pen- occurs on several other common words, such as penultimate "almost the ultimate (final)," i.e. next to the last, and "peninsula," which is almost an island. Did you know that umbra "shadow" meant in Latin, and still means in English, "an uninvited guest accompanying an invited guest," i.e. his or her shadow? Of course, that shade-maker the umbrella is based on the same stem, as is the dark brown color, "umber." "Adumbrate" means to suggest the shadow of something without mentioning the thing itself. This word has two adjectives: "penumbral" and "penumbrous." Choose whichever captures your fancy. You also have your choice of plurals, "penumbrae" or "penumbras"either does the plurality trick.
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