sconce

Where does the word "sconce" come from? It comes from Latin abscondere, passing through Medieval Latin and Old French before entering English (1400s).

Sconce’s story begins in Latin: abscondere meant “to hide, conceal.” Ab- 'away' plus condere 'to put, store' - to hide away. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as sconsa. A feminine past participle naming a shielded light source. From there it passed into Old French as esconse by medieval. Kept the sense of a screened lantern. It reached English by 1400s as sconce. Narrowed from a handheld screened lantern to a wall-mounted candle bracket. Today, sconce means an ornamental wall-mounted bracket for candles or lights.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient abscondere "to hide, conceal", ab- 'away' plus condere 'to put, store' - to hide away.
2. Stage 2 · Medieval Latin · medieval sconsa "a hidden or shielded lantern", a feminine past participle naming a shielded light source.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval esconse "a lantern with a screen; a hiding place", kept the sense of a screened lantern.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1400s sconce "a wall-mounted candle bracket", narrowed from a handheld screened lantern to a wall-mounted candle bracket.