The word supernova has the plural form supernovae (/- v iː /) or supernovas and is often abbreviated as SN or SNe. It is derived from the Latin word nova, meaning ' new ', which refers to what appears to be a temporary new bright star. Adding the prefix "super-" distinguishes supernovae from ordinary novae, which are far less luminous. The word supernova was coined by Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky, who began using it in astrophysics lectures in 1931. Its first use in a journal article came the following year in a publication by Knut Lundmark, who may have coined it independently.