Where does “candle” come from?

Candle comes from Middle English candel, from Old English candel, from Latin candela, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kand-, meaning to glow or shine.

candle (English): A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a...

Definitions

  1. A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a...

Ancestry of “candle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcandelcandle
2Old Englishcandelcandle
3LatincandēlaA light made of wax or tallow; tallow candle or taper
4Latincandeōto be brilliant, glittering or illuminated; to shine, glitter, glisten; gleam white
5Proto-Italickandēō—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankand-to shine, glow

Words derived from “candle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kand- →