Numen
Noun
- A spiritual force or influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place.
Example Sentences
“I felt a strange numen in the quiet forest, like something bigger than me was there.”
“The old cathedral had a numen that made everyone lower their voices without being told.”
“While standing at the edge of the ocean, she sensed a kind of numen she couldn’t really explain.”
Word Origin
Latin, 15th century
Why this word?
If you’ve ever seen a breathtaking vista or stood in a historical space and felt the power of something greater than yourself, you’ve experienced numen. This 15th-century noun comes from the Latin verb “nutare,” meaning “to nod,” and the noun “numen,” meaning “divine will.” As the word moved into English it came to refer to any sort of spiritual force attached to a certain natural element or place.
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