illuminate
UK[ɪˈluː.mɪ.neɪt]US[ɪˈluː.mə.neɪt]
v
to shine light on something or to make something brighter
v
to explain something clearly or to make something easier to understand
v
to decorate a book or manuscript with gold, silver, or bright colors
Morpheme Breakdown
il
lumin
ate
il
in
lumin
light
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'illuminate' traces its lineage directly to latin. it is built upon the latin verb 'illuminare', which itself is a compound of the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'in, upon') and the noun 'lumen' (meaning 'light'). the core concept is literally 'to bring light into' or 'to cast light upon'. this physical sense of lighting something up was carried directly into middle english via old french. over time, the metaphorical extension became dominant, applying the concept of light to the realms of intellect and understanding, leading to the modern abstract meaning of making a subject clear or comprehensible. the specialized artistic meaning of decorating manuscripts with bright colors and metals also stems from this act of making the pages visually 'brighter'.
Analysis
Structure: il (in) + lumin (light) + ate (verb suffix)
il: latin origin, a variant of the prefix 'in-' meaning 'in, into, upon'.
lumin: latin origin, from the root 'lumen' meaning 'light'.
ate: latin origin, a verb-forming suffix indicating 'to make, to act, to cause'.
Examples
the streetlights were too dim to properly illuminate the path.
the professor used a simple analogy to illuminate a complex philosophical concept.
medieval monks would spend years to illuminate a single bible with intricate designs.