Present participle of emit; giving off or sending out light, sound, gas, or other substances.
From Latin emittere, composed of e- (out) and mittere (to send). Originally meant simply 'to send out,' with the modern scientific sense of releasing energy or particles developing during the 17th-18th centuries as physics advanced.
The word 'emitting' has become crucial in our understanding of everything from stellar radiation to greenhouse gases, yet it simply means 'sending out.' This humble verb now carries the weight of climate science, quantum physics, and telecommunications - showing how basic human concepts expand to describe complex phenomena.
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