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refulgent
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Pronunciation: ree-fUl-jênt • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Shining brightly, resplendent, illustrious.
Notes: This Good Word is a shining example of a word with a happy and supportive lexical family. The noun may be refulgence or refulgency; however, if these do not please you, refulgentness is also available. The only choice for an adverb is refulgently.
In Play: In July of 1838 a young radical by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson addressed the seniors of Harvard Divinity School, saying, "In this refulgent summer, it has been a luxury to draw the breath of life. The grass grows, the buds burst, the meadow is spotted with fire and gold in the tint of flowers." Literal or figurative shining may be conveyed by today's word: "Fred's face was refulgent at hearing about his promotion as he emerged from the boss's office."
Word History: Today's Good Word is the stem of Latin refulgen(t)s, the present participle of refulgere "to flash, reflect", made up of re- "back" + fulgere "to flash". Fulgere contains the same root we find in Russian belyi "white", which underlies the name of the white whale, the beluga, also the name of the sturgeon that produces probably the best caviar in the world. When the vowel and the L switched places (liquid metathesis), the same root went on to become English blue and German Blitz "flash", as in the quick war known as a Blitzkrieg "flash war." (Today we owe a word of gratitude to the refulgent mind of Brian Gockley, the voice of our podcasts, for suggesting this shining lexical item.)
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