Where does “candlestick” come from?
Candlestick comes from Old English candelsticca, a compound of candel and sticca meaning a holder for candles.
candlestick (English): A holder with a socket or spike for a candle; A...
Definitions
- A holder with a socket or spike for a candle; A...
Ancestry of “candlestick”, step by step
candlestick traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English candle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | candle | A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a... |
| 2 | Middle English | candel | candle |
| 3 | Old English | candel | candle |
| 4 | Latin | candēla | A light made of wax or tallow; tallow candle or taper |
| 5 | Latin | candeō | to be brilliant, glittering or illuminated; to shine, glitter, glisten; gleam white |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kandēō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kand- | to shine, glow |
via English stick
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stick | An elongated piece of wood or similar material,... |
| 2 | Middle English | stikke | twig, branch; kindling, twigs used as a... |
| 3 | Old English | sticca | stick |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *stikkō | stick, pole |
via Middle English candelstik
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | candelstik | — |
| 2 | Old English | candelsticca | candlestick |