candle
KAN-dl · noun
LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish
Origin
English candle comes from Middle English candel, from Old English candel, itself borrowed from Latin candēla ("candle"). That Latin word traces back to candeō, meaning "be white, bright, shining".
Journey
The word passed quietly from Latin into Old English, then Middle English, keeping essentially the same meaning of a wax light throughout.
Related words
It's a doublet of candela (the unit of light intensity) and chandelle, both descending from the same Latin root, and it's related to candid, which also comes from candeō.