• relumine v. t. To light anew; rekindle. relumined, reluming.
Poet or patriot, rose but to restore
The faith and moral Nature gave before;
Relumed her ancient light, not kindled new.
Pope, Essay on Man, iii. 287.
--The Century Dictionary
Bloggin' John Comments
We talk about how after a break up, the love between two people can be rekindled, using a word derived from kindling, which is nothing more than "easily combustible small sticks or twigs used for starting a fire." We could talk, but thankfully we don't, about a "relit" relationship, which smacks too much of speed and spark and snap, as from a Zippo lighter.
Why not use a word that is cousin to "luminescence," a word rooted in "lumen"--light--and "escence"--a perduring existential state? Romantically defined, luminesent love glows softly from within, rising out of a person's essence. The light of lumescent love comes naturally, without need of an external heat source, without need of a jump start, without need of any kindling.
--Oxford American Dictionary, Electronic Version 1.0.1.(1.0.1)
Bloggin' John's Example:
Our long, past, sadly dimmed love has been, with this kiss, resplendently relumed.
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