Where does “candlelight vigil” come from?

candlelight vigil (English) comes from English vigil, from Middle English vigile, from Old French vigile, from Latin vigilia, from Latin vigil, from Proto-Indo-European weǵ- — lively, awake; strong.

candlelight vigil (English): An event that includes lighting candles, used to remember the victims of a tragedy

Definitions

  1. An event that includes lighting candles, used to remember the victims of a tragedy

Ancestry of “candlelight vigil”, step by step

candlelight vigil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English vigil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishvigilAn instance of keeping awake during normal...
2Middle Englishvigilea devotional watching
3Old Frenchvigile
4Latinvigiliawatch, vigil; wakefulness; city guard,...
5Latinvigilawake, watching, alert; watchman, guard,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵ-lively, awake; strong

via English candlelight

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcandlelightThe light emitted by a candle
2Middle Englishcandel lyght
3Old Englishcandel lēohtcandlelight
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵ-