Etymograph

English

candid

Candid comes from Latin candidus ‘white’, from candeō ‘to be brilliant, glittering or illuminated’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kend- ‘to shine, appear’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kend-‘to shine, appear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kandēōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcandeō‘to be brilliant, glittering or illuminated’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcandidus‘white’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1717candid

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kend-‘to shine, appear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kandēōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcandeō‘to be brilliant, glittering or illuminated’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcandidus‘white’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1717candid

Earliest quotation: 1717, Catcott, Book XV: “The Box receives all Black, but, pour'd from thence,…”

Linked words

through Latin candeō ‘to be brilliant, glittering or illuminated’

chandler, candle, chandelier, incendiary, candor, candela, 10 more

through Latin candidus ‘white’

incandescent, 3 more

Today it means

adj Impartial and free from prejudice.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kend- / candid

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