single word requests - Difference between "transparent" and "translucent"



What's the difference between transparent and translucent? I am trying to describe this record pressing.



Answer



These are both Latin words, and the etymologies help here.



  • trans simply means through

  • lūceō simply means to shine


So translucent means 'shining through' -- i.e, light passes through, though nothing is said about an image.



  • pāreō means to look, seem or appear; to think (of); to sound (like)


So transparent clearly refers to identifiable images, most likely visual (hence implying light), but also any sensory percept involving a mental image, as in a transparent lie.


Since transparent usually entails light passing through a substance, translucent has become specialized in its sense to entail light passing, but no image.


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