January 28, 2014 rutilant • \ROO-tuh-lunt\ • adjective : having a reddish glow Examples: We all sat quietly around the campfire, each persons rutilant face mesmerized by the crackling flame. I watched him with envy. He was tall and thin, having outgrown his pudge, while I was still layered with baby fat, rutilant cheeks glowing like apples. — From Doug Crandells 2004 memoir Pig Boy’s Wicked Bird Did you know? Rutilant, which first appeared in English late in the 15th century, is used in English today to describe anything with a reddish or fiery glow, such as a sunset or flushed skin. It derives from Latin rutilus, meaning ruddy, which is probably related to Latin ruber, meaning red. Ruber itself is a direct ancestor of our word rubella (a disease named for the reddish color ones skin turns when afflicted with the condition) and rubric (which, among other things, can refer to a book or manuscript heading that is done or underlined in red). Ruber is also a distant relative of several English words for things that bear a reddish tone (including russet, rouge, and ruby) and even of the word red itself.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 23:50:50 +0000
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