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Nitency
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:11 pm
by Grogie
Brightness or luster. ''Freshly polished metals have a lot of nitency.''
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:40 am
by Slava
From a different root, but spelled and pronounced the same it means "striving, endeavor, or tendency."
One source also cites the word "renitency" for use in atmospheric writing. Since brightness and luster are reflected light, wouldn't adding re- be a bit redundant? Any weather people out there care to comment?
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 10:36 am
by Audiendus
The only meaning I have discovered for "renitency" is "resistance to pressure" or "recalcitrance" - nothing about brightness. Both "nitency" and "renitency" seem to come from the Latin verb niti, but it is unclear how the "brightness", "striving" and "resistance" senses are related.
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 2:46 pm
by Slava
Both meanings come from nitens, but nitens is a p. pr two different verbs, nitere and niti.
The atmospheric reference came from here:
http://thesaurus.com/browse/atmospheric?qsrc=2446
By the by, they are both pronounced KNIT, until you get to re, which can be either KNIT or NIGHT.
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:41 pm
by Perry
Don't leave home without your nitens.
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:24 pm
by Slava
Don't leave home without your nitens.
Ah, good to know we can trust Perry to get to the nitty-gritty of the matter.