Candy and Sugar Both Reached English From Sanskrit
Candy is sweet confectionery, chiefly in American English. Its name travelled from Sanskrit through Arabic before arriving.
Candy is sweet confectionery, the standard American word where British English says sweets. Its route is long: Sanskrit *khanda*, a piece of sugar, into Persian and Arabic *qandi*, then Old French, then English. *Sugar* itself came the same way, from Sanskrit *sharkara* through Arabic *sukkar*, which is why both words entered Europe with the trade that carried the substance. The verb survives in *candied peel*, meaning preserved in sugar.
- Sweet confectionery. *A bag of candy.*
- To preserve in sugar. *Candied ginger.*
- Candyfloss — spun sugar, British. *Candyfloss at the fair.*
- Eye candy — something merely decorative. *Pure eye candy.*
- Sweets — the British equivalent. *A bag of sweets.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | candy | Too much candy. |
| Verb | candy | Candy the peel. |
| Adjective | candied | Candied fruit. |
| Compound | candyfloss | Pink candyfloss. |
| Sanskrit | khanda | A piece of sugar. |
- The children traded candy after Halloween.American.
- Candied peel goes into the cake.Verb form.
- Khanda meant a piece of sugar in Sanskrit.Etymology.
British and American sweet words
- Candy — American; sweets — British
- Candyfloss — British; cotton candy — American
- Candy bar — American; chocolate bar — British
- Lolly or lollipop — shared, with British lolly also meaning money
- Confectionery — the formal word on both sides
Shortened from *sugar-candy*, from Old French *sucre candi*, from Arabic *qandi*, from Persian, ultimately from Sanskrit *khanda*, a piece.
Do British speakers say candy?
Rarely for sweets in general. They say sweets, though candyfloss and candy-striped are normal.
Are candy and sugar related?
Not as words, but both travelled to Europe from Sanskrit by way of Arabic, alongside the trade in sugar itself.