Dritë

Dritë is the Albanian word for light, the visible form of electromagnetic radiation that enables sight. It includes daylight from the Sun and Moon, as well as artificial sources such as lamps, LEDs, and screens. In physics, light can behave both as a wave and as particles called photons; its propagation speed in vacuum is about 299,792 kilometers per second. The color of light depends on its wavelength within the visible spectrum (approximately 380 to 740 nanometers). The eye’s sensitivity varies with wavelength, which determines perceived color and brightness. Luminous flux, measured in lumens; illuminance, measured in lux; and luminous intensity, measured in candelas, are standard photometric quantities. The color of a light source is often described by color temperature, measured in kelvin.

Light interacts with matter through reflection, absorption, transmission, and scattering. It travels in straight lines in uniform media and can be refracted or dispersed by lenses and prisms, producing effects such as rainbows. Polarization describes the orientation of light waves.

Perception of dritë is essential for vision and for many technologies, including photography, lighting design, and display systems. Cultural and linguistic usage in Albanian often uses dritë metaphorically to denote knowledge, truth, or hope, and it appears in literature, poetry, and religious or ceremonial contexts.

See also: photometry, optics, illumination, electromagnetic spectrum.