penumbra etymology

Etymology

  • Latin: penumbra, "almost shadow, partial darkness"
  • Late Latin from Greek: pen-, "almost" + umbra, "shadow"

Meaning

The penumbra is the region of partial darkness between the complete shadow (umbra) and the fully lit region (antumbra). It is the outer, less dark part of a shadow, where light is partially blocked.

Origin

The term "penumbra" was first used in astronomical contexts to describe the partial shading of the Earth or Moon during an eclipse. It has since been adopted in other fields, such as optics and physics, to refer to any region of partial darkness.

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