# light



## robbie_SWE

It seems odd that most Indo-european languages have simillar words for "light" (I'm talking about "light" in the sense of electrons+protons+futons creating a source on energy etc.). 

ENG: _*light*_
SWE:* ljus*
GER:* Licht*
ITA:* luce*
ROM:* lumină*
FRE:* lumière*
 
How is it in your language?? Especially non-Indo-european languages. 
 
 robbie


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## Outsider

Latin: _*lux*_
Spanish and Portuguese: _*luz*_


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## neli

OK sorry.
Luč is light


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## karuna

In Latvian light is: _*gaisma*_

Actually light is the flow of photons, not electrons or protons.


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## robbie_SWE

karuna said:


> In Latvian light is: _*gaisma*_
> 
> Actually light is the flow of photons, not electrons or protons.


 
Thank you! You're right, now I remember what my old science teacher said about photons. How silly of me to forget!


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## Flaminius

*Lithuanian:*
šviesa

I think the difference from the Latvian word is noteworthy.


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## karuna

I am pretty sure that in Russian "light" is: _*свет*_ (svet). However, there is the word _*луч*_ (luch) which means "a ray".


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## avalon2004

Most of these words are similar because they presumably stem from Latin (*lux*, as someone mentioned).
The Greek word for light is *φως*/_fos (phos)_ which is etymologically related to any words that use the prefix "*photo/foto-".*


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## karuna

Flaminius said:


> I think the difference from the Latvian word is noteworthy.



Now I am waiting for an Estonian or Finnish word. I don't have access to etymology dictionaries right now but something inside tells me that the Latvian word comes from them.


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## übermönch

German's *Licht*. Ukrainian's *Svit*.


karuna said:


> I am pretty sure that in Russian "light" is: _*свет*_ (svet). However, there is the word _*луч*_ (luch) which means "a ray".


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## Whodunit

It doesn't work in the Slavic language group, I'm afraid. In Czech, it's *světlo*.


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## Outsider

But there does seem to be a cognate _luch_, with a related meaning...


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## avalon2004

In Catalan, the word is *llum* which is surely related..


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## Outsider

Spanish and Portuguese have _lumbre_ and _lume_, respectively, both meaning "fire", but they look like they might have a different origin.


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## Jana337

Outsider said:


> But there does seem to be a cognate _luch_, with a related meaning...


I fail to find an equivalent in Czech, though. It could be a loanword. Russians? 



Flaminius said:


> *Lithuanian:*
> šviesa
> 
> I think the difference from the Latvian word is noteworthy.


Yes, I think I recognize our světlo.


karuna said:


> Now I am waiting for an Estonian or Finnish word. I don't have access to etymology dictionaries right now but something inside tells me that the Latvian word comes from them.


It is "valo" in Finnish... 

Jana


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## Whodunit

Outsider said:


> But there does seem to be a cognate _luch_, with a related meaning...


 
The only one that comes to my mind would be "lucerna" (= lantern). Does it also mean "streetlamp?"


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## Outsider

Whodunit said:


> The only one that comes to my mind would be "lucerna" (= lantern).


That looks like a direct loan from Latin. But notice the examples given above for Russian and Slovenian.


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## Frank06

Hi,

In Dutch and German it's licht / Licht.
In Persian it's نور (noor).

Frank


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## ronanpoirier

Hungarian:

*Fény* (But I'm not sure. I don't trust in online dictionaries )


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## Whodunit

Outsider said:


> That looks like a direct loan from Latin. But notice the examples given above for Russian and Slovenian.


 
I just looked through my handy Czech dictionary and any online dictionary I could find, but the only word having to do with "light" and beginng with an "l" is "lucerna." If it makes you happier, "jasno" means "brightness."


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## ronanpoirier

Whodunit said:
			
		

> but the only word having to do with "light" and beginng with an "l" is "lucerna."



That reminds me of the Spanish word "luciérnaga" which means "fire-fly". I think it's also related to light in some languages...


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## beclija

Frank06 said:


> In Persian it's نور (noor).
> 
> Frank


An Arabic loan, btw.
in Croatian/Serbian, it's svijetlo/svetlo. The only one I can think of that is related to lux is the adjective "lucidan", a clear loan.


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## Pivra

Sanskrit, 

Rashmi (halo, ray, light)


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## elroy

As has been implied, the Arabic words is نور (_nuur_) - also, ضوء (_daw'_)


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## panjabigator

Light: Roshnii (in both)


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## Lugubert

panjabigator said:


> Light: Roshnii (in both)


'Both' meaning of course Hindi and Panjabi. But there is an ā_lok_ in Hindi and a _loa_ in Panjabi, and Sanskrit had ā_loka_. The primary meaning seems to relate to 'look', but dictionaries for the three languages sure include 'light' among the meanings.


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## !netko!

As already mentioned, in Croatian it's ''svjetlo'' , but ther is a word *''luč''*, (archaic, though), used for a lamp, the kind you hold in your hand.


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## spakh

light is "ışık" in turkish.
'ş' :as in english SHape
in danish, "lys"
in serbian, "svjetlos" and in swahili "nuru"


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## bb3ca201

in Scottish Gaelic, it's "solas"


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## MarX

Indonesian:

*cahaya*

It doesn't sound nor seem to be a native Austronesian word.
My guess is _Sanskrit_, yet no Indian language so far has a word similar to *cahaya*.


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## Tamar

Hebrew: אור [or]
French: lumière


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## Nizo

In *Esperanto*, _lumo_.


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## dana Haleana

Filipino: Ilaw


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## kusurija

In Czech:
paprsek (a ray)
záření (radiation)
světlo (light)
třpyt, lesk (refulgency)

In Lithuanian:
spindulys (a ray)
spinduliavimas (radiation)
šviesa (light)
spindesys (refulgency)


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