Do you like candles? Some enjoy their light; others love the delightful smells of scented candles. There are some surprisingly interesting words associated with candles. Let’s learn about five of them.
Candlelight
Candlelight is the light produced by a candle or candles. In olden times, people used candles to read at night or navigate around their homes. In modern times, sometimes people hold candlelight vigils after sunset to show support for a cause or to mourn the loss of someone.
Candlelit
Lit is the past tense of the verb light. So candlelit is an adjective that describes something lit by candles. For example, people sometimes enjoy the romantic ambience of a candlelit dinner.
Candelabra
Did you know that in Latin, candelabra is a plural word? The single form is candelabrum, but most people treat candelabra as a singular or a plural. A candelabra is a candlestick holder. Sometimes, candelabra hold several candles or lamps. Some religions use candelabra in worship. For example, Jews use a candelabra with seven or eight candles called a menorah.
Votives
Have you ever heard anyone say they were lighting a votive candle? A votive is not a type of candle—rather, it refers to the purpose of the candle. Votive means offered or given to fulfill a vow. Over time, people started referring to the candles themselves as votives, but this definition does not appear in most dictionaries.
Taper
To taper means to become thinner toward one end. Candles might come in jars, or in square or round shapes. As you might have guessed, only candles that taper are called tapers!
Were you surprised to learn that candelabra is plural? It’s because it comes from Latin. Why not learn more about Latin plurals?
