# penumbra
## English
### Alternative forms

* pænumbra (obsolete, rare)

### Etymology

From New Latin pēnumbra, from Latin paene (“almost”) + umbra (“shadow”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pəˈnʌm.bɹə/, enPR: pĭ-nŭm'brə
* Hyphenation: pen‧um‧bra or pe‧num‧bra
* Audio (Southern England):(file)

### Noun

penumbra (plural penumbras or penumbrae or (obsolete) penumbræ)
* A partially shaded area around the edges of a shadow, especially an eclipse.
** 2011, Galen C. Duree, Jr., Optics for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., published 2011, →ISBN, page 61:The other places see the penumbra of the moon's shadow fall on the earth, so the eclipse is partial, and part of the sun's disc is still visible.
** 2011, Frank McLynn, Captain Cook: Master of the Seas, Yale University Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 112:In the boiling temperature of 119 ° F – the hottest they had experienced so far – they watched as the penumbra of Venus blurred its outline at the precise moment the disc crossed the sun.
** 2012, Michael A. Seeds, Dana E. Backman, Horizons: Exploring the Universe, Brooks/Cole, published 2012, →ISBN, page 37:The part of the moon that remains in the penumbra receives some direct sunlight, and the glare is usually great enough to prevent your seeing the faint coppery glow of the part of the moon in the umbra.
* (astronomy) A region around the edge of a sunspot, darker than the sun's surface but lighter than the middle of the sunspot.
* (figuratively) An area of uncertainty or intermediacy between two mutually exclusive states or categories.
** 1998, Debraj Ray, Development Economics, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, pages 346–347:These firms or businesses are not illegal in the strict sense, but there is a shadowy penumbra within which they live, and it is often convenient for the government to look the other way.
** 2010, Denis Farkasfalvy, Inspiration and Interpretation: A Theological Introduction to Sacred Scripture, The Catholic University of America Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 188:[…] God chose to descend into the realm of human imperfection, where the light of truth is spare and must exist in the penumbra of partial knowledge mixed with partial ignorance.
** 2011, Bill Schwartz, The White Man's World, Oxford University Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 136:Unlike some of his contemporaries Parkes never implied that the Irish were close, in the racial hierarchy, to black, condemned to some racial penumbra, between black and white; but nor, given Catholic exclusion from the given traditions of his native radicalism, were the Irish white in the same way that he was.
* (figuratively) An area that lies on the edge of something; a fringe.
** 1975, Bryan R. Wilson, The Noble Savages: The Primitive Origins of Charisma and Its Contemporary Survival, Quantum Books, published 1975, →ISBN, page 116:Whilst the orthodox, de-charismatized churches steadily lose influence and support and the new cults develop, in the religious penumbra there have persisted, during the last century, echoes of charisma.
** 1986, John McCormick, “Chicago Bounces Back”, in Newsweek, volume 108, page 42:But for all the expansionist energy of a metro area that sprawls from Wisconsin to Indiana (total population: 7.2 million), downtown Chicago and its penumbra also stand rejuvenated.
** 2000, Steve Jones, The Language of Genes‎, Flamingo, →ISBN, page xv:Some are accounts of the latest advances, but too many are in that weary penumbra of science inhabited by sociologists, who wander like children in a toyshop, playing with devices they scarcely understand.
* Something related to, connected to, and implied by, the existence of something else that is necessary for the second thing to be full and complete in its essential aspects.
** 1965, William O. Douglas, Griswold v. Connecticut, United States Reports, 381 U.S. 479
    The foregoing [United States Supreme Court] cases suggest that specific guarantees in the Bill of Rights have penumbras, formed by emanations from those guarantees that help give them life and substance.
* (medicine, preceded by "ischaemic", after a stroke) A region of the brain that has lost only some of its blood supply, and retains structural integrity but has lost function.

#### Quotations

* 1842, [George B. Loring], England Opposed to Slavery, or Some Remarks upon “An Examination into the Real Causes of the War Against the United States, and an Appeal to the Other Powers of Europe Against the Purposes of England.”, Boston: Benjamin H. Greene, pages 48–49:Thank God we are not all cowards, we have not all a low ambition, which would make men shades, pœnumbræ of their fellows.

#### Synonyms

* (area of uncertainty or intermediacy): grey area
* (area that lies on the edge of something): periphery, outskirt

#### Derived terms

* penumbral

#### Translations
### References

* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “penumbra”, in Online Etymology Dictionary: “[…] from Modern Latin penumbra "partial shadow outside the complete shadow of an eclipse," coined 1604 by Kepler from Latin pæne "nearly, almost, practically," which is of uncertain origin, + umbra "shadow" (see umbrage).”
* ↑ “penumbra” in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th revised edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN; reproduced on TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2025: “New Latin pēnumbra : Latin paene, almost + Latin umbra, shadow.”

## Finnish
### Etymology

Internationalism (see English penumbra).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpenumbrɑ/, [ˈpe̞num.brɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -enumbrɑ
* Hyphenation: pe‧numb‧ra

### Noun

penumbra
* penumbra

#### Declension

Possessive forms of penumbra (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
penumbrani
penumbrani
accusative
nom.
penumbrani
penumbrani
gen.
penumbrani
genitive
penumbrani
penumbrieni penumbraini $^{rare}$
partitive
penumbraani
penumbriani
inessive
penumbrassani
penumbrissani
elative
penumbrastani
penumbristani
illative
penumbraani
penumbriini
adessive
penumbrallani
penumbrillani
ablative
penumbraltani
penumbriltani
allative
penumbralleni
penumbrilleni
essive
penumbranani
penumbrinani
translative
penumbrakseni
penumbrikseni
abessive
penumbrattani
penumbrittani
instructive
comitative
—penumbrineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
penumbrasi
penumbrasi
accusative
nom.
penumbrasi
penumbrasi
gen.
penumbrasi
genitive
penumbrasi
penumbriesi penumbraisi $^{rare}$
partitive
penumbraasi
penumbriasi
inessive
penumbrassasi
penumbrissasi
elative
penumbrastasi
penumbristasi
illative
penumbraasi
penumbriisi
adessive
penumbrallasi
penumbrillasi
ablative
penumbraltasi
penumbriltasi
allative
penumbrallesi
penumbrillesi
essive
penumbranasi
penumbrinasi
translative
penumbraksesi
penumbriksesi
abessive
penumbrattasi
penumbrittasi
instructive
comitative
—penumbrinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
penumbramme
penumbramme
accusative
nom.
penumbramme
penumbramme
gen.
penumbramme
genitive
penumbramme
penumbriemme penumbraimme $^{rare}$
partitive
penumbraamme
penumbriamme
inessive
penumbrassamme
penumbrissamme
elative
penumbrastamme
penumbristamme
illative
penumbraamme
penumbriimme
adessive
penumbrallamme
penumbrillamme
ablative
penumbraltamme
penumbriltamme
allative
penumbrallemme
penumbrillemme
essive
penumbranamme
penumbrinamme
translative
penumbraksemme
penumbriksemme
abessive
penumbrattamme
penumbrittamme
instructive
comitative
—penumbrinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
penumbranne
penumbranne
accusative
nom.
penumbranne
penumbranne
gen.
penumbranne
genitive
penumbranne
penumbrienne penumbrainne $^{rare}$
partitive
penumbraanne
penumbrianne
inessive
penumbrassanne
penumbrissanne
elative
penumbrastanne
penumbristanne
illative
penumbraanne
penumbriinne
adessive
penumbrallanne
penumbrillanne
ablative
penumbraltanne
penumbriltanne
allative
penumbrallenne
penumbrillenne
essive
penumbrananne
penumbrinanne
translative
penumbraksenne
penumbriksenne
abessive
penumbrattanne
penumbrittanne
instructive
comitative
—penumbrinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
penumbransa
penumbransa
accusative
nom.
penumbransa
penumbransa
gen.
penumbransa
genitive
penumbransa
penumbriensa penumbrainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
penumbraansa
penumbriaan penumbriansa
inessive
penumbrassaan penumbrassansa
penumbrissaan penumbrissansa
elative
penumbrastaan penumbrastansa
penumbristaan penumbristansa
illative
penumbraansa
penumbriinsa
adessive
penumbrallaan penumbrallansa
penumbrillaan penumbrillansa
ablative
penumbraltaan penumbraltansa
penumbriltaan penumbriltansa
allative
penumbralleen penumbrallensa
penumbrilleen penumbrillensa
essive
penumbranaan penumbranansa
penumbrinaan penumbrinansa
translative
penumbrakseen penumbraksensa
penumbrikseen penumbriksensa
abessive
penumbrattaan penumbrattansa
penumbrittaan penumbrittansa
instructive
comitative
—penumbrineen penumbrinensa :

#### Synonyms

* (part of a shadow): puolivarjo

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /peːˈnum.bra/, [peːˈnʊmbrä]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /peˈnum.bra/, [peˈnumbrä]

### Noun

pēnumbra f (genitive pēnumbrae); first declension
* (New Latin) Alternative form of paenumbra.

#### Declension

First-declension noun.

## Portuguese
### Etymology

From New Latin penumbra, from Latin paene (“almost”) + umbra (“shadow”).

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /peˈnũ.bɾɐ/
* (Brazil) IPA: /peˈnũ.bɾɐ/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /peˈnũ.bɾa/
* (Portugal) IPA: /pɨˈnũ.bɾɐ/
* Hyphenation: pe‧num‧bra

### Noun

penumbra f (plural penumbras)
* situation of low light

### Further reading

* “penumbra”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
* “penumbra”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025
* “penumbra” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
* “penumbra”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* “penumbra”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
* “penumbra”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Noun

penumbra f
* definite nominative/accusative singular of penumbră

## Spanish
### Etymology

From New Latin penumbra, from Latin paene (“almost”) + umbra (“shadow”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /peˈnumbɾa/ [peˈnũm.bɾa]
* Rhymes: -umbɾa
* Syllabification: pe‧num‧bra

### Noun

penumbra f (plural penumbras)
* half-light
** 2010 April, Joaquín Londáiz Montiel, Crónicas de la Atlántida, Montena, →ISBN, page 31:La estancia se encontraba sumida en una inquietante penumbra.The room was immersed in a disturbing half-light.
* shadow, shade
** 1926, Federico García Lorca, Oda a salvador Dalí:El mundo tiene sordas penumbras y desorden, en los primeros términos que el humano frecuenta. Pero ya las estrellas ocultando paisajes, señalan el esquema perfecto de sus órbitas.(please add an English translation of this quotation)
* penumbra

### Further reading

* “penumbra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10