chandler

[prettygoodword]

chandler (CHAND-ler, CHAHND-ler) - n., a maker or seller of candles; a supplier of provisions and supplies of a specific kind, often especially nautical (ship chandler).


The maker of candles started as an office in large medieval households, much as butler did as the one in charge of bottles, but expanded into a town merchant. In towns, they expanded their range from candles to the tallow and wax those are made from, and into other things made from them, such as soap, and then into oil and further supplies like paint. Apparently it's this last that led to the term being used for ship suppliers, and thence into other expeditionary services. The word dates to around 1300 as chaundeler/chandeler, from Anglo-Norman/Old French chandelier (from whence also the lighting fixture chandelier), from Vulgar Latin *candēlārius, from Latin candēla, candle, from From candeō, shine/glow/br bright (from whence also candle).

---L.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

Whence also "candidate," heh.

[prettygoodword]

Huh!

From the bright sense of the Latin, as Roman candidates for office wore white togas. I hadn't made that connection. Neat.

[thistleingrey]

I spent a bit of time with Hugh Candidus awhile back. Interesting too that writers (it says "later" on wiki, but it was only 40-100 years later) switched him to that from Hugh Albus.

[prettygoodword]

Heh.