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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.

More words

From Old English

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