fulgur

Meaning

1. (declension-3, neuter) lightning, a flash of lightning
2. (declension-3, neuter) thunderbolt
3. (declension-3, neuter) brightness, splendor

Concepts

lightning

flash

flash of lightning

thunderbolt

thunderstorm

Synonyms

fulmen

crepitaculum

explosio

fulgor

tonitrus

🌩️

catapultæ

cætera

Translations

éclair

Blitz

relâmpago

lampo

relámpago

bliksem

αστραπή

fulmine

rayo

llampec

yıldırım

şimşek

saetta

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈfʊɫ.ɡʊr]

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *folgos, from the same root as fulgeō (“flash, lighten”). The expected declension according to regular sound changes would be *fulgus, fulgeris. The nominative fulgus is in fact given by Festus as an alternative form. The oblique stem fulger- is attested in Lucretius ("quasi protelo stimulatur fulgere fulgur"), and also in inscriptions in the spelling of derived words such as fulgerātor. Some Romance descendants also derive from a stem fulger- (although they could alternatively descend from fulgere, the infinitive of the verb fulgō).
The usual nominative/accusative/vocative singular form, fulgur, shows replacement of -s with -r, presumably by analogy to the oblique stem. This analogical change is not usual in neuter third-declension nouns, but rōbur n (“oak”), iubar n (“splendor; brightness”) and sulphur n (“brimstone; lightning”) are other possible examples. The usual oblique stem fulgur- shows replacement of expected -er- or -or- with -ur-. Kent 1932 and Parker 1986 suggest that -o- was raised to -u- by assimilation to the vowel in the first syllable in this word, and also in sulphur (though ulcus shows regular ulcer-). Compare also the non-neuter augur.