The first thing we have to make clear is the etymological origin of the term glimpse that now occupies us. In that case, it must be stated that it is a word that comes from Latin, exactly peek. This verb that derives from the adjective “vistus”, which is synonymous with “seen”.
Peeping is the act of peering: glimpsing, looking demurely. The concept is also used as a synonym for glimpse (a suspicion or a conjecture).
The most common use of the notion is associated with the signal or indication of something. For example: “The president’s announcement erased all glimpses of optimism in the economy”, “There is still a glimmer of hope, but we know that the situation is very complicated”, “The Czech player did not show signs of fatigue. “
Suppose a journalist conducts an interview with a mayor who was convicted of corruption. In the talk, the politician affirms that his ambition led him to make mistakes and, through tears, admits that he suffers constantly since he understood that he misappropriated public funds that were going to be destined to people who needed the help of the State. For the journalist, the note shows a “hint of repentance” in the mayor: his words and his attitude reflect that the man is sorry for having committed the crime in question.
Many times the idea of a glimpse appears linked to the first evidence of the beginning of a situation or the beginning of a process. Take the case of a tennis player who, in a best of five sets match, loses the first two sets. In the first game of the third set, however, he breaks his opponent’s serve and then maintains his serve. In the audience, one spectator tells another that he notices a “hint of recovery” in the player who, for the moment, is losing the game. This is because the athlete begins to show symptoms of an improvement in their level.
In the same way, it is very frequent that the expression “glimpse of hope” is used. This can be used in phrases such as the following: “Manuel’s serious illness and the state in which he found himself ended any glimmer of hope among his loved ones.”
There is also another very common expression that is used with the term at hand. It is a hint of doubt. This is usually used in sentences such as this: “The jury is not clear about the innocence or guilt of the accused and it is that they have a hint of doubt.”
Likewise, we cannot forget the existence of the expression “hint of peace”. This can be found, for example, in the song “Whether I have it or not” by the Almeria artist David Bisbal.
Within the literary field, there is a trilogy entitled “Los cruces del Atisbo”. It is written by Julián R. Rabadán.