# Lighting candles



## ThomasK

In this Christmas season I guess more candles than ever are lit. I'd be interested in hearing about your words for "candle" (and their origin) and how you describe the lighting of the candles (i.e., what verb you use). 
In Dutch for example it is *de kaarsen aansteken*:
- _*kaars *_(etymology unclear: linked with Lat. cerata (wax) or from charta (paper or birch bark, folded and used as a torch))
- _*aansteken *_(sticking out [fire, a light] touching (aan) the candle?) - so intrinsically not link with fire or ... 

German: _*Kerzen anzünden*_ (which is the most common, I guess)
- *Kerze *(see above)
- *anzünden *(causative of _zinden _[to burn, to glow] - by touching (an)...) - intrinsic link

The English words: 
 - *candle *(shining cilinder - based on _candere _(to shine))"
 - _*light *_(very strange, but according to etymonline.com: "to touch down," as a bird from flight, "get down or descend," as a person from horseback, based on making lighter --- I could imagine that there is an association with lighting candles from above, which is most common, i think) - no intrinsic link


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## Penyafort

Catalan has:

- *espelma* [əsˈpɛl.mə, (Val.) esˈpɛl.ma] _f._ (From Latin _sperma_ '(whale) sperm', as it was previously used for the wax of candles)
--This is the most common word in modern Catalan, specially in Catalonia.​
- *candela* [kənˈdɛ.lə, (Val.) kanˈde.la, (Bal.) kənˈdə.lə] _f._, alongside the more local but more traditional form *canela* (From Latin _candela_, from the verb _caneo_ 'to shine' and the suffix _-ela_)
--This used to be the most common word in all of the Catalan-speaking area, but it was replaced by _espelma_ by most speakers in the last centuries.​​- *bugia* [buˈʒi.ə] f. (From the Algerian port of Bugia, nowadays Bejaia, from which wax was imported)
--This is the most used in Northern Catalonia, probably taken from Occitan and preserved because of French influence.​
- *ciri* [ˈsi.ɾi] _m. _(From Latin _cereus_ 'waxen')
--This is restricted to big candles, and mostly referred to the ones used in religious ceremonies.​​The verb typically used for lightening a candle is *encendre* [ənˈsen.dɾə], from Latin incendo, from _in_- + _cendo_, variant of _candeo_ 'to shine' (from which _candle _is also derived).

A couple of idioms with _candela_:
- *encendre la candela* 'to light the candle' (and *acabar-se la candela *'to finish/die out, the candle') = to accept a quantity for starting an auction / to finish, the time for bidding in an auction.​- *encendre una candela a sant Miquel i una altra al dimoni* 'to light a candle to saint Michael and another to the devil' = to do good deeds and bad deeds alternatively.​


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## ThomasK

_Espelma, bugia:_ quite new to me, or at least their background!


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## Trisia

Romanian:

I think that strictly for candle we have *lumânare */lu.mɨˈna.re/, which isn't a very pretty word but it's got a pretty [obvious] origin: Late Latin _lūmināria_ (those which give light).

There's also *făclie* /fəˈklj.e/, borrowed from either Bulgarian or Serbo-Croatian, ultimately from Latin _facula_, that usually means torch but can also be a larger candle (EDIT: used mainly for religious ceremonies). A well-known  -- and pretty horrifying -- short story in Romanian is called "O făclie de Paște" (_Easter Candle____).

[We actually do have *candelă */ˈkan.de.lə/ as well but it doesn't mean candle at all! It only ever means a small oil lamp, as in _Cuvântul Tău este o candelă pentru picioarele mele și o lumină pe cărarea mea. - _Psalm 119:105]

The verb for _to light a candle_ = *a aprinde* o lumânare (to light). Apparently from Latin _appre[he]ndere_* (to catch hold of, to grasp) which ended up in other languages as "to aprehend", "apprendre" and so on. I don't know how we decided to forgo the grasping/understanding/learning meaning and went for light. Maybe we were being poetic -- to learn = be enlightened .
*There is another theory that it actually derives from the Rom verb "a prinde" (Lat. _prēndere = _to catch), in the sense that back in the earlier days of fire making you wanted the tinder to "catch" a spark -- just like in _to catch fire_ or _prendre feu, prender fuego, etc._​​As for idioms with lumânare, there are quite a few so I'll pick a couple:
- _a căuta (ceva) cu lumânarea_ - to look for something with a candle = search intently​- _a o căuta cu lumânarea_ - to be searching for it with a candle = to act recklessly, to be asking for it [an argument, a beating]​​- _a lua mucul lumânării_ - to take the candle end = to only get leftovers​- _a-și mânca lumânarea cu feștilă cu tot_ - to eat one's candle entirely, including the wick = to lose one's dignity/honour​​


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## AutumnOwl

Swedish:
Ljus - candle, but the word also means light, be it sunlight (solljus), electrical light (elektriskt ljus), and light (pale) for colours (ljusblå - light blue). For candles we can add what they are made of before, vax-, paraffin-, stearinljus, or värmeljus (warmer candle) for tea lights.

Tända - to light a candle, also used for electric lamps (tända en lampa). You can also "tända en brasa/en eld" - ignite a bonfire or start a fire in a fireplace. The word means ignite or light, and it's related to the Middle High German word zinden, compare with the German word in post #1. (The letter z haven't been used much in the Swedish language, in words borrowed from old German it seems that the the z -> t.)

Tända ett ljus - light a light.


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## ThomasK

Great contributions!


Trisia said:


> Romanian:
> 
> I think that strictly for candle we have *lumânare */lu.mɨˈna.re/, which isn't a very pretty word but it's got a pretty [obvious] origin: Late Latin _lūmināria_ (those which give light).
> 
> There's also *făclie* /fəˈklj.e/, borrowed from either Bulgarian or Serbo-Croatian, ultimately from Latin _facula_, that usually means torch but can also be a larger candle. A well-known (and pretty horrifying) short story in Romanian is called "O făclie de Paște" (_Easter Candle____).
> 
> [We actually do have *candelă */ˈkan.de.lə/ as well but it only means a small oil lamp, as in _Cuvântul Tău este o candelă pentru picioarele mele și o lumină pe cărarea mea. - _Psalm 119:105]
> 
> The verb for _to light a candle_ = *a aprinde* o lumânare (to light). Apparently from Latin _appre[he]ndere_* (to catch hold of, to grasp) which ended up in other languages as "to aprehend", "apprendre" and so on. I don't know how we decided to forgo the grasping/understanding/learning meaning and went for light. Maybe we were being poetic -- to learn = be enlightened .
> *There is another theory that it actually derives from the Rom verb "a prinde" (Lat. _prēndere = _to catch), in the sense that back in the earlier days of fire making you wanted the tinder to "catch" a spark -- just like in _to catch fire_ or _prendre feu, prender fuego, etc._​​As for idioms with lumânare, there are quite a few so I'll pick a couple:
> - _a căuta (ceva) cu lumânarea_ - to look for something with a candle = search intently​- _a o căuta cu lumânarea_ - to be searching for it with a candle = to act recklessly, to be asking for it [an argument, a beating]​​- _a lua mucul lumânării_ - to take the candle end = to only get leftovers​- _a-și mânca lumânarea cu feștilă cu tot_ - to eat one's candle entirely, including the wick = to lose one's dignity/honour​​And the one we learned in uni, _"tocitul înainte de examen e ca lumânarea de la capul mortului -- te luminează dar nu te deșteaptă"_ -- cramming right before an exam is like [placing] a candle by the deceased's head (at a wake) -- it illuminates but doesn't brighten (you up).
> (the Ro wordplay is based on "a deștepta" = to wake up OR to make smarter)
> ​


3 words for candle, OK! aprinde is a little surprising to me and the second explanation/hypothesis seems more convincing to me, but one should never think too wishfully! ;-) Interesting expressions!


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## ThomasK

AutumnOwl said:


> Swedish:
> Ljus - candle, but the word also means light, be it sunlight (solljus), electrical light (elektriskt ljus), and light (pale) for colours (ljusblå - light blue). For candles we can add what they are made of before, vax-, paraffin-, stearinljus, or värmeljus (warmer candle) for tea lights.
> 
> Tända - to light a candle, also used for electric lamps (tända en lampa). You can also "tända en brasa/en eld" - ignite a bonfire or start a fire in a fireplace. The word means ignite or light, and it's related to the Middle High German word zinden, compare with the German word in post #1. (The letter z haven't been used much in the Swedish language, in words borrowed from old German it seems that the the z -> t.)
> 
> Tända ett ljus - light a light.


One word referring to light and candle: somehow quite plausible as a form of metonymy, but still...


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## elroy

In Arabic:

candle = شمعة
related to شمع, “wax”

to light = أضاء، يضيء، إضاءة
related to ضوء, “light” (noun), as in English 

In Hebrew:

candle = נר
related to נור, “light, flame” (noun).

to light = להדליק
causative of לדלוק, “to glow, to burn,” cf. German


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## ThomasK

Thanks, @elroy, certainly very itneresting, but I am cannot read those words in Arabic or Hebrew. Could you add the transliteration (as I is called, I believe)?


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## elroy

In Arabic:

candle = شمعة /ʃamʕa/ 
related to شمع /ʃamʕ/, “wax”

to light = أضاء، يضيء، إضاءة /ʔadˤa:ʔa/ /judˤi:ʔu/ /ʔidˤa:ʔa/ 
related to ضوء /dˤu:ʔ/, “light” (noun), as in English 

In Hebrew:

candle = נר /ner/ 
related to נור /nur/, “light, flame” (noun).

to light = להדליק /lehadlik/ 
causative of לדלוק /lidlok/, “to glow, to burn,” cf. German

(Arabic has no infinitives, so for the verb I gave three basic forms.)


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## apmoy70

In Greek we have:

(A) *«Κερί»* [ce̞ˈɾi] (neut. nom. sing.), *«κεριά»* [cerˈʝa] (neut. nom. pl.) --> _candle(s)_ < Byzantine neuter noun *«κερί(ο)ν» kerí(o)n* & *«κηρί(ο)ν» kērí(o)n* (idem) < Classical neuter noun *«κηρίον» kēríŏn* --> _wax-cake, honeycomb_ < Classical masc. *«κηρός» kērós* --> _wax_ (of disputed etymology; could be IE as its similarity to the Latvian word for honeycomb, kāre(s), points towards a possible IE root *kāri-, but all linguistic evidence points to the Pre-Greek root *kēro-). 
It's the generic word for candle.

(B) *«Λαμπάδα»* [laɱˈbaða] (fem.) --> _large candle_, used in some Orthodox Church rituals, e.g. during baptisms or weddings < Byzantine Greek 3rd declension feminine noun *«λαμπάς/λαμπάδος» lampás* (nom. sing.)/*lampádos* (gen. sing.) < Classical 3rd declension deverbative feminine noun *«λαμπάς» lămpắs* (nom. sing.), *«λαμπάδος» lămpắdŏs* (gen. sing.) --> _torch, wax-light_ < Classical v. *«λάμπω» lắmpō* --> _to shine, be bright, give light_.

(C) *«Καντήλα»* [kaŋˈdila] (fem.) or *«καντήλι»* [kaŋˈdili] (neut.) --> _candle, vigil oil lamp_; the latter is the Late Byzantine neuter diminutive *«κανδήλι(ο)ν» kandḗli(o)n* < Byzantine feminine noun *«κανδήλη» kandḗlē* < Lat. candela. 

All three are associated to the verb *«ανάβω»* [aˈnavo̞] --> _to light, fire, light up (among others)_ < Classical v. *«ἀνάπτω» ănắptō* --> _to make fast on_ or _to, hang up in a temple, offer up, light up, kindle, inflame_, a compound: Classical prefix & preposition *«ἀνά» ănắ* + Classical v. *«ἅπτω» hắptō* --> _to kindle, set on fire (among others)_.

(A) Κερί is this:






(Β) Λαμπάδα is this:



(C) Καντήλα/καντήλι is this:


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## Awwal12

ThomasK said:


> In this Christmas season I guess more candles than ever are lit. I'd be interested in hearing about your words for "candle" (and their origin) and how you describe the lighting of the candles (i.e., what verb you use).


The Russian word for 'a candle' is свеча (svechá), from a Proto-Slavic word generally meaning "lighter"; cf. Rus. светить (svetít') "to light", "to emit light".
Russians "ignite" their candles (as well as all sources of light, actually):
to light candles (perfective) - зажечь свечи (zazhéch svéchi), where зажечь is an inchoative verb formed from жечь (zhech) "to burn (sth, + also intransitively in the figurative sense)".


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## Yendred

Penyafort said:


> - *candela* [kənˈdɛ.lə, (Val.) kanˈde.la, (Bal.) kənˈdə.lə] _f._, alongside the more local but more traditional form *canela* (From Latin _candela_, from the verb _caneo_ 'to shine' and the suffix _-ela_)
> --This used to be the most common word in all of the Catalan-speaking area, but it was replaced by _espelma_ by most speakers in the last centuries.
> 
> - *bugia* [buˈʒi.ə] f. (From the Algerian port of Bugia, nowadays Bejaia, from which wax was imported)
> --This is the most used in Northern Catalonia, probably taken from Occitan and preserved because of French influence.
> 
> - *ciri* [ˈsi.ɾi] _m. _(From Latin _cereus_ 'waxen')
> --This is restricted to big candles, and mostly referred to the ones used in religious ceremonies.


Quite similar to French:
- *chandelle *(generic)
- *bougie *(from Bejaia in Algeria)
- *cierge *(religious lithurgy)

The most common word in today's French is obviously _*bougie*_.


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## ThomasK

@apmoy70: your /lampada/ would be our Godslamp, the eternal red light hanging by the tabernacle when the consecrated hosts are present, but I suppose yours have a different meaning - or don't they? We do not think of it as a candle, but strictly speaking it is... 

@Yendred: isn't chandelle archaic? I remember a phrase/ sentence from a song: _ma chandelle est morte_. From ._.. Pierrot_?


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## Yendred

ThomasK said:


> @Yendred: isn't chandelle archaic? I remember a phrase/ sentence from a song: _ma chandelle est morte_. From ._.. Pierrot_?


_Chandelle _has indeed become rather dated, compared to _bougie_, and mostly remains in expressions like "_dîner aux chandelles_" (candlelit dinner), "_tenir la chandelle_" (to play gooseberry / to be a third wheel), but some older people keep saying _chandelle _rather than _bougie_.

Did you know that "_ma chandelle est morte_" (_Au clair de la lune_ song lyrics) is sexually suggestive? 
Connaissez-vous le sens caché des comptines pour enfants ?

And for a false friend between French and English, I must mention French _chandelier _(= English _candlestick, candelabra_), not to be confused with English _chandelier _(= French _lustre_), made famous by Sia when she sang she was "_gonna swing from the chandelier_":


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## alfaalfa

Ciao,


Penyafort said:


> *espelma* [əsˈpɛl.mə, (Val.) esˈpɛl.ma] _f._ (From Latin _sperma_ '(whale) sperm', as it was previously used for the wax of candles)


In Italian do exist "_spermaceti_" as a row material to do candles, but it's a very very rare noun.



Penyafort said:


> *candela* [kənˈdɛ.lə, (Val.) kanˈde.la, (Bal.) kənˈdə.lə] _f._,


_"Candela" _is the most common word,



Penyafort said:


> - *ciri* [ˈsi.ɾi] _m. _(From Latin _cereus_ 'waxen')
> --This is restricted to big candles, and mostly referred to the ones used in religious ceremonies.


"_Cero_". _Accendere un cero alla Madonna >_ To light a candle to Mother Mary when you're kissed by fortune.



Penyafort said:


> *bugia* [buˈʒi.ə] f.


This is the Italian _bugia_ (talking about candles)


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## apmoy70

alfaalfa said:


> Ciao,
> 
> In Italian do exist "_spermaceti_" as a row material to do candles, but it's a very very rare noun.
> 
> 
> _"Candela" _is the most common word,
> 
> 
> "_Cero_". _Accendere un cero alla Madonna >_ To light a candle to Mother Mary when you're kissed by fortune.
> 
> 
> This is the Italian _bugia_ (talking about candles)
> View attachment 79911


We too had *«σπαρματσέτο»* [s̠parmaˈt̠͡s̠e̞t̠o̞] (neut.) for the candle made from the waxy substance in the head of sperm whales but it's now obsolete < It. spermaceti.
Your _bugia_ is a *«κηροπήγιο»* [ciɾo̞ˈpiʝi.o̞] (neut.) --> lit. _candle-fastener_ to us < Koine neuter noun *«κηροπήγιον» kērŏpḗgĭŏn* (idem), a compound: «Κηρίον» (see post #11 for its etymology) + Classical athematic verb *«πήγνυμι» pḗgnŭmĭ* --> _to secure, fasten_.


ThomasK said:


> @apmoy70: your /lampada/ would be our Godslamp, the eternal red light hanging by the tabernacle when the consecrated hosts are present, but I suppose yours have a different meaning - or don't they? We do not think of it as a candle, but strictly speaking it is...


I think you misread @ThomasK, your Godslamp is our καντήλα/καντήλι (mostly καντήλα, καντήλι is the smaller vigil oil lamp)


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## Ghabi

apmoy70 said:


> In Greek we have:
> 
> (A) *«Κερί»* [ce̞ˈɾi] (neut. nom. sing.), *«κεριά»* [cerˈʝa] (neut. nom. pl.) --> _candle(s)_


Thanks! Now I know how Cavafy's depressing little poem is called in Greek!


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## Trisia

Oh, I remember the name of the whale wax-like substance from books -- spermanțet -- but I've never seen it used as a name for the candle.

Our monolingual dictionary says it can be used for the candle, but rarely. We would likely say "lumânări de spermanțet".


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## apmoy70

Yendred said:


> _Chandelle _has indeed become rather dated, compared to _bougie_, and mostly remains in expressions like "_dîner aux chandelles_" (candlelit dinner), "_tenir la chandelle_" (to play gooseberry / to be a third wheel), but some older people keep saying _chandelle _rather than _bougie_.
> 
> Did you know that "_ma chandelle est morte_" (_Au clair de la lune_ song lyrics) is sexually suggestive?
> Connaissez-vous le sens caché des comptines pour enfants ?
> 
> And for a false friend between French and English, I must mention French _chandelier _(= English _candlestick, candelabra_), not to be confused with English _chandelier _(= French _lustre_), made famous by Sia when she sang she was "_gonna swing from the chandelier_":


Candelabra is a *«πολυκήριο»* [po̞liˈciɾi.o̞] to us, often shortened and "demoticised" (pardon my neologism) to *«πολυκέρι»* [po̞liˈce̞ɾi] (neut.) in the vernacular = *«πολύς» pŏlús* --> _many, alot_ + κηρίον < Κoine *«πολυκήριον» pŏlŭkḗrĭŏn* (neut.) --> lit. _multi-candle_.

I wonder, how do you call the suspended candle fixer, often found in ancient homes or churches?
Something like that:



We call that a *«πολυέλαιος»* [po̞liˈe̞le̞o̞s̠] (masc.) --> lit. _multi-oil_ because it used to have little cups with olive-oil and a small wick floating in each one


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## Yendred

apmoy70 said:


> I wonder, how do you call the suspended candle fixer, often found in ancient homes or churches?
> Something like that:


In French, it's called _lustre _(or _plafonnier_, or _suspension_), but it's not specific to ancient versions, and is also used for more modern ones:


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## fdb

ThomasK said:


> - _*light *_(very strange, but according to etymonline.com: "to touch down," as a bird from flight, "get down or descend," as a person from horseback, based on making lighter --- I could imagine that there is an association with lighting candles from above, which is most common, i think) - no intrinsic link


"Light" "to touch down, dismount" and "light" "to set on fire" are two different words (homonyms).


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## Welsh_Sion

*Cymraeg/Welsh

'candle'

cannwyll* (< Late Latin _cantela_) 'a candle'

*cannwyll gwyr* i.e. virgin's candle, 'a taper'
*tapr* < 'a taper'

*cwyren* 'a cake of wax, a wax candle'

*Action of making the wick of candle burn*

*golau cannwyll* - to light a candle

*golau* can be an uncountable noun ('light'), a countable noun ('a light'), an infinitive ('to light'), a verbal noun ('lighting') and an adjective ('light ... not dark').

*'chandelier'

siandelïer *(electric c.)
*siandelîr *(ibid.)

*canhwyllyr *(with candles)
*seren canhwyllau* 'star of candles' (ibid.)


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## Penyafort

Trisia said:


> Romanian:
> 
> I think that strictly for candle we have *lumânare */lu.mɨˈna.re/, which isn't a very pretty word but it's got a pretty [obvious] origin: Late Latin _lūmināria_ (those which give light)


Interesting!

In Catalan, a *llumenera* was this:


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## alfaalfa

Penyafort said:


> In Catalan, a *llumenera* was this:



This one is a "_lampada a olio_" > oil lamp

The _ luminaria_ is this one


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## Yendred

In French, _un luminaire_ is any electrical device that provides light.
It seems that English uses the word _luminaire _as is from French with the same meaning.


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## Penyafort

Here, *fer d'espelma* ('to do as a candle, to be the candle') use to refer to someone going out with a couple of lovers in order to keep an eye on them. Nowadays it's rather used for someone being the third often unwanted person in a context in which the other two are lovers at an initial stage.


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## ThomasK

fdb said:


> "Light" "to touch down, dismount" and "light" "to set on fire" are two different words (homonyms).


You're ight of course, sorry. So no intrinsic link!


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## ThomasK

alfaalfa said:


> This is the Italian _bugia_ (talking about candles)
> View attachment 79911


Do I understand then that the _bugia_ in Italian refers to the holder, no to the candle?


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## ThomasK

I suggest we deal with candelabras and lustres in a separate thread!
I created a thread for proverbs and expressions here... I would be grateful if you pasted yours in there...


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## Armas

Finnish:

*kynttilä*, from Proto-Norse *_kundila_(?) or Old Swedish _kyndil_, ultimately from Latin _candela._
*tuohus*, a small wax candle, used especially by the Orthodox Christians, derived from _tuohi_ "birch bark".
*sytyttää* "to kindle, ignite", causative of _syttyä_ "to ignite, catch fire", which in turn is from _syteä_ "to strike" i.e. to make fire using a flint.


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## ThomasK

OK, thanks, so an intrinsic link between candles and lighting!


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