candela

See also: Candela, candéla, candelă, and candéła

English

Alternative forms

• (abbreviation) cd

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin candēla (“candle”). Doublet of candle and chandelle.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kænˈdɛlə/, /kænˈdiːlə/, /ˈkændɪlə/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• (US) IPA^(key): /kænˈdiːlə/, /kænˈdɛlə/
• Rhymes: -ɛlə, -iːlə, -ændɪlə
• Hyphenation: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela (plural candelas or (rare) candelae)

1. In the International System of Units, the base unit of luminous intensity; the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10¹² hertz and that has a radiant intensity in that direction of 1/683 watt per steradian. Symbol: cd

Derived terms

• femtocandela
• gigacandela
• isocandela
• kilocandela
• megacandela
• microcandela
• millicandela
• nanocandela

Related terms

• candelabrum
• candid
• candidate
• candle
• candlepower
• candlestick
• chandler
• chandlery

Translations

unit of luminous intensity

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 坎德拉 (zh) (kǎndélā)

• Czech: kandela (cs) f
• Dutch: candela (nl)
• Esperanto: kandelo
• Estonian: kandela
• Finnish: kandela (fi)
• French: candela (fr) f
• Galician: candela (gl) f
• Georgian: კანდელა (ḳandela)
• German: Candela (de) n
• Greek: καντέλα f (kantéla)
• Hindi: कैण्डेला (kaiṇḍelā)
• Hungarian: kandela (hu)
• Indonesian: kandela (id), lilin (id)
• Japanese: カンデラ (ja) (kandera)
• Korean: 칸델라 (kandella)
• Latvian: kandela f
• Malay: kandela
• Polish: kandela (pl) f
• Portuguese: candela (pt) f
• Romanian: candelă (ro) f
• Russian: канде́ла (ru) f (kandɛ́la)
• Spanish: candela (es) f
• Swedish: candela (sv) c
• Thai: แคนเดลา (kɛɛn-dee-laa), แรงเทียน (rɛɛng-tiian)
• Uzbek: svecha (uz)

Further reading

• candela on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• canaled, decanal

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin candela.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanˈdela/ [kãn̪ˈd̪e.la]
• Rhymes: -ela
• Syllabification: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela f (plural candeles)

1. corn flower
2. candlestick
3. (uncommon) candle

   Synonyms: vela, mexana

4. beating, bashing

   Synonyms: cuelma, carena, cuera, llueta, felpa

Further reading

• “candela”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN
• Xosé Lluis García Arias (2002–2004), “candela”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN

Catalan

Alternative forms

• canela (archaic or Valencian)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin candela, with Ecclesiastical Latin influence. Doublet of the older inherited form canela.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kənˈdɛ.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [kənˈdə.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kanˈdɛ.la]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

candela f (plural candeles)

1. candle

Derived terms

• candeler
• candelera
• candeleta

Related terms

• candelilla
• canelobre

Further reading

• “candela”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “candela” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “candela”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish candela, from Latin candela.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanˈdela/, [kãn̪ˈd̪e.la]
• Hyphenation: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela

1. candle

Related terms

• candelabra

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin candela (“candle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɑnˈdeː.laː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela f (plural candela's, no diminutive)

1. candela

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin candēla. Doublet of chandelle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑ̃.de.la/

• Audio (Paris):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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Noun

candela f (plural candelas)

1. candela (SI unit of luminous intensity)

Italian

Alternative forms

• candelo (archaic)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin candēla, derived from candeō (“to shine, glow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanˈde.la/
• Rhymes: -ela
• Hyphenation: can‧dé‧la

Noun

candela f (plural candele)

1. candle
2. ellipsis of candela di accensione (“spark plug”)
3. candela (SI unit of luminous intensity)
4. (slang) snot
5. chandelle (aerobatic maneuver)

Derived terms

• candelaggio
• candelaio
• candeliere

Related terms

• candelabro

Further reading

• candela in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• Calenda, caldane

Latin

Etymology

From candeō (“shine, glitter; glow”) +‎ -ēla.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [kanˈdeː.ɫa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [kanˈdɛː.la]

Noun

candēla f (genitive candēlae); first declension

1. A light made of wax or tallow; tallow candle or taper.
2. A fire.
3. A cord covered with wax.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	candēla	candēlae
genitive	candēlae	candēlārum
dative	candēlae	candēlīs
accusative	candēlam	candēlās
ablative	candēlā	candēlīs
vocative	candēla	candēlae

Derived terms

• candēlābrum

Related terms

• candefaciō
• candēlābrārius
• candēns
• candentia
• candeō
• candescō
• candicō
• candidus
• candificō
• candor

Descendants

• Italo-Dalmatian:
  • Corsican: candela, ⇒ candelu
  • Italian: candela, ⇒ candelo
  • Sicilian: cannila
  • Venetan: candéła
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: cjandele
  • Ladin: ciandeila, ciandëra
  • Romansh: chandaila
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Lombard: candéla
  • Piedmontese: candèila, candèira, candèlia, candaia
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Franco-Provençal: chandêla
  • Old French: chandoile, chandele, chandeile
    • Gallo: chandelle
    • Middle French: chandelle (see there for further descendants)
    • Norman: candelle
    • Picard: candelle
    • Walloon: tchandèle
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: canela
  • Occitan: candèla, chandela
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Aragonese: candela
  • Asturian: candela
  • Extremaduran: candela
  • Leonese: candela
  • Mirandese: candela
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: candea, cãdea, camdea (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Spanish: candela
    • Ladino: kandela
    • Spanish: candela (see there for further descendants)

Borrowings

• → Albanian: këndell
• → Ancient Greek: κανδήλη (kandḗlē) (see there for further descendants)
• → Basque: kandela
• → Catalan: candela
• → Dutch: candela
• → English: candela
• → French: candela
• → Old English: candel, candell, condel, condell
  • Middle English: candel, condel, kandyl, kandel, candyll, candell
    • English: candle (see there for further descendants)
    • Scots: candil, candel, candle
    • Yola: condale, candale, condel
• → Old Irish: caindel (see there for further descendants)
• → Portuguese: candela
• → Proto-Brythonic: *kantuɨll (see there for further descendants)
• → Proto-Norse: *ᚲᚢᚾᛞᛁᛚᚨ (*kundila)
  • Old Norse: kyndill
    • Faroese: kyndil
    • Icelandic: kyndill
    • Old Swedish: kyndil
      • → Finnish: kynttilä, kyntteli
        • → Ingrian: kyntteli
        • → Votic: čüntteli
      • → Estonian: küünal
    • Old Danish: kyndæl
• → Swedish: candela

References

• “candela”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “candela”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "candela", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “candela”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “candela”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “candela”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973), “կանթեղ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, page 514

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑn.de.lɑ/

Noun

candela

1. nominative/accusative/genitive plural of candel

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin candela (cf. English candela). Doublet of the inherited candeia.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kɐ̃ˈdɛ.lɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kɐ̃ˈdɛ.lɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /kɐ̃ˈdɛ.la/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ̃ˈdɛ.lɐ/

• Hyphenation: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela f (plural candelas)

1. (physics) candela (unit of measurement of luminous intensity)

Related terms

• candeia

Further reading

• “candela”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “candela”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin candēla. Doublet of candil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanˈdela/ [kãn̪ˈd̪e.la]
• Rhymes: -ela
• Syllabification: can‧de‧la

Noun

candela f (plural candelas)

1. candle

   Synonym: vela

2. (physics) candela (physical unit)
3. combustible

   Synonym: lumbre

4. (especially Cuba, Venezuela) fire, light

   Synonyms: fuego, incendio

   • 1997, Luis Marquetti, Sergio González Siaba, “El Cuarto de Tula”, performed by Buena Vista Social Club:

     El cuarto de Tula, le cogió candela / Se quedó dormida y no apagó la vela

     Tula's room caught fire / She fell asleep and didn't put out the candle

5. soapwood (Dodonaea viscosa)

Related terms

• candelabro
• candelero
• echar candela
• matacandelas
• ser candela

Descendants

• → Central Bikol: kandila
• → Cebuano: kandila
• → Limos Kalinga: kandela
• → Masbatenyo: kandila
• → Papiamentu: kandela
• → Tagalog: kandila

Further reading

• “candela”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

candela c

1. candela

References

• “candela”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “candela”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)