candy
UK[ˈkændi]US[ˈkændi]
n
a sweet food made from sugar or chocolate, or a piece of this
v
to preserve food by boiling it in sugar
Etymology
the journey of "candy" is a story of linguistic trade and transformation. its ultimate origin lies in the sanskrit 'khaṇḍaḥ', referring to a piece of crystallized sugar. this term traveled through persian and arabic, entering medieval latin as 'candēs' (sugar candy) and old french as 'candi'. english adopted the word in the late 13th century from the french phrase 'sucre candi'. the core concept has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient source to its modern usage, always centered on the idea of sugar in a solidified, sweet form. the verb sense, meaning to preserve in sugar, developed naturally from the primary noun.
Analysis
the word "candy" is a simplex loanword. it entered english from the french word 'sucre candi' (crystallized sugar), which derived from the arabic word 'qandī', meaning 'made of sugar'. this, in turn, likely came from the sanskrit word 'khaṇḍaḥ', meaning 'piece (of sugar)'.
Examples
the children were given a small bag of candy as a treat.
she has a weakness for sour candy.
the recipe calls for candied orange peel.