Word of the Day - 12/11/25
supernal
/sʊ'pɜrnəl/(adj.): of heaven or the spirit
A supernal light filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting the room in quiet reverence.
(adj.): being or coming from on high
for God will deign / To visit oft the dwellings of just Men / Delighted, and with frequent intercourse / Thither will send his winged Messengers / On errands of supernal Grace. - Paradise Lost, Book VII, Lines 569-573.
Word Origin
The word 'supernal' originates from Late Latin 'supernalis', which itself comes from Latin 'supernus' meaning 'upper' or 'celestial'. 'Supernus' is derived from 'super', meaning 'above' or 'over'. The word can be broken down as 'super-' (above) + '-nal' (an adjectival suffix indicating 'related to' or 'belonging to', derived from Latin '-alis').
Words with similar origins include 'superior', from Latin 'superior' (comparative of 'superus', meaning 'that which is above'); 'superb', from Latin 'superbus' (meaning 'haughty' or 'excellent', also related to 'super'); and 'supreme', from Latin 'supremus' (superlative of 'superus'). All these words share the Latin root 'super' or its derivatives, conveying a sense of being above or excellent. The '-nal' suffix is shared by supernal's far more famous complementary antonym, infernal.