tenebra

Meaning

singular of tenebrae (“darkness, shadow; ignorance; concealment”)

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈtɛ.nɛ.bra]

Etymology

Arose by dissimilation from earlier *temebrai, arisen from Proto-Italic *temasro, from Proto-Indo-European *temH-s-ro (“dark”), a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”); cognate with Sanskrit तमिस्र (tamisra), Avestan 𐬙𐬄𐬚𐬭𐬀 (tąθra), Middle Persian [script needed] (tʾr /⁠tār⁠/, “darkness”), Ossetian тар (tar), and Old Church Slavonic тьмьнъ (tĭmĭnŭ).