An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A linear pattern in the → chromosphere of the → Sun, as seen through an → H-alpha filter, occurring near strong → sunspots and → plages or in → filament channels. They are magnetically confined tubes of hot → plasma. Individually, they are about 10,000 km long and last for 10 to 20 minutes.

Etymology (EN): From Mod.L. fibrilla, from fibr(a) “fiber” + -illa diminutive suffix.

Etymology (PE): Târcé, from târ “thread, warp, → string”

• diminutive suffix -cé, from Mid.Pers. -cak, variants -êžak (as in kanicak “little girl,” sangcak “small stone,” xôkcak “small pig”), also Mod.Pers. -ak.