Limn
To depict — originally by painting, now most often in words, with the sense of drawing something out into visibility.
Full definition of Limn →:: COMPARE ::
LimnvsIlluminate
The short answer
The same Latin verb, split in two. Illuminate kept the light and lost the picture; limn kept the picture and lost the light.
Side by side
| Aspect | Limn | Illuminate |
|---|---|---|
| Kept | The image | The light |
| Register | Literary | Everyday |
| Same root | lūmen | lūmen |
| Manuscript sense | Obsolete | Preserved |
What each one means
Illuminate
The contrast above sets out how Illuminate differs from Limn on the points that actually matter.