Kingle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic variant of kindle, meaning to set something alight or to stir a feeling into flame
2. Used in older English for lighting or igniting a fire, or for arousing an emotion or passion
3. A dated form of kindle, describing the act of starting a fire or awakening a strong feeling

Etymology: Kindle once meant to give birth. In Middle English, the verb described animals bringing forth their young, and it is tied to "kin" through Old Norse "kynda" and a family of words for begetting and kind. The sense of setting something alight came later, and it is the one that survives. The fire sense is the one that carried the word forward. The spelling "kingle" is an older variant of that same verb, used for starting a fire and, by extension, for stirring a strong feeling. The exact reason for the -ng- spelling is uncertain, since the consonant could reflect pronunciation, spelling habit, or influence from nearby words. What is clear is that it belongs to the same family as kindle and was never a separate word with its own history.

Synonyms: pebble