Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PENUMBRA

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explore the archives: Let's break penumbra into its two roots: The "pen" in penumbra means "almost," like in our word pen_________, meaning "almost last." And the "umbr" in penumbra means "shade or shadow," like in our word umbr___, "offense: the feeling that you've been slighted, that someone has cast a false light on you or shoved into the shade." (Yeah, that connection is a bit loose, isn't it?) So, onward to penumbra, literally meaning "almost a shadow." Let's work our way to the common meanings used today by going back to something familiar: an umbrella... make your point with... "PENUMBRA" Think of how an umbrella gives you shade. We got the word "umbrella" from the Latin umbra, meaning "shade or shadow." In English, an umbra can be:   1. a ghost: the "shade" of a person,   2. a guest who tags along uninvited: the "shadow" of the invited guest,   3. any shade or shadow,   or 4. the very dark shadow of the earth or the moon. So take "umbra" and add "pen," which here means "almost," and you get "penumbra." A literal penumbra is a place that's partly shaded or somewhat shadowy. (Check out a nice, simple diagram of an astronomical umbra and penumbra here. It helps to keep this image in mind when you use the more general meanings of "penumbra.") More generally, a penumbra can be:   1. just a little tiny bit of something (usually something bad), or   2. a fuzzy, unclear area or group of things outside a main area or thing. Pronunciation: peh NUM bruh Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one penumbra or multiple penumbras.) Other forms: Penumbras. Penumbral and penumbrous: both mean "shadowy, not clear, on the outer edges." How to use it: We'll focus on the general abstract meanings. For the first meaning--"a little smidgen of something, usually bad"--talk about a penumbra of sadness or melancholy, a penumbra of guilt, a penumbra of regret, a penumbra of distrust, a penumbra of scandal or controversy, a penumbra of white privilege, etc. For the second meaning--"the hazy outer limits of something"--talk about the penumbra of popular culture, the penumbra of protection offered or implied by someone or something, a penumbra of associates surrounding a famous person, etc. examples: A penumbra of guilt surrounds the memory of that accident: could I have done anything to prevent it? After stirring up controversy with her tacky behavior that had dragged her into the spotlight, she wisely retreated to the penumbra for a few years before releasing another album with a decidedly more modest tone. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "penumbra" means when you can explain it without saying "an area of dimness" or "just a little shadow of something." try it out: Fill in the blank: "_____ remains in a penumbra of secrecy." Example: "Exactly how he raised the funds for this latest start-up remains in a penumbra of secrecy." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. From our previous issue: Pair A: TOUCHY and TETCHY. These are the strangers--maybe. Although they have very similar meanings, and although sources note that they've long been associated with each other, no one knows exactly how they arose. So actually, it's possible that they ARE related. But in the absence of evidence, we can't know for sure. (Folks, I'm sorry about this pair; it's really not a good example of strangers: I included it in the previous issue without having finished the research on it. My bad.) Pair B: SPY and ESPIONAGE. These are the cousins, for sure! "Espionage" traces back to the Middle French word for "spy:" espion. Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: LOT and LOTTERY Pair B: ELUSIVE and RECLUSIVE review today's word: 1. Some opposites of PENUMBRA could be A. ABUNDANCE and CENTER B. MEDIOCRITY and DRYNESS C. STARSHINE and SHAME 2. Appropriately, the title character of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a quirky fellow with _____ habits, a member of a _____ society. A. messy .. raucous B. cryptic .. shadowy C. foppish .. fashionable Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B