What do you call a person who makes chandeliers?

October 24, 2005 4:36 PM

What do you call a person who makes chandeliers? A chandelierlier?
posted by ijoshua to Writing & Language (14 answers total)

A chandelier-maker.
posted by amro at 4:52 PM on October 24, 2005

Chandelier is actually the French word for a person who makes candles. So where does that leave candelabras?
posted by iconomy at 4:55 PM on October 24, 2005

a chandelier maker, an artist, a blacksmith,

But if you're trying to coin a new word, if you drop the second 'l' in your word I think you may have it.
posted by pmbuko at 4:56 PM on October 24, 2005

Another good made-up word would be "chandeleur".
posted by interrobang at 5:03 PM on October 24, 2005

I think that if you research the etymology of candle, chandelier, and chandler, you'll likely find a common root. I suspect that chandeliers were once arrays of candles that were created by chandlers, so perhaps you're still safe using chandler today.
posted by jdroth at 5:03 PM on October 24, 2005

To support my previous guess, I quote from Merriam-Webster Online:

chandler

Etymology: Middle English chandeler, from Middle French chandelier, from Old French, from chandelle candle, from Latin candela

chandelier

Etymology: French, literally, candlestick, modification of Latin candelabrum

candle

Etymology: Middle English candel, from Old English, from Latin candela, from candEre

I believe chandler is the correct term for a person who makes chandeliers.
posted by jdroth at 5:09 PM on October 24, 2005

Except for the pesky "Oh, so you make candles?" part.
posted by smackfu at 5:12 PM on October 24, 2005

chandeleur sounds plausibly fun.
posted by Count Ziggurat at 8:56 PM on October 24, 2005

I recently had an internship at a lighting manufacturing company. We made and restored chandeliers, among other types of fixtures. We had designers, shop foremen, metal workers, assemblers, wirers, finishers, painters, platers, etc. The chandeliers were typically installed by electricians. With the wide variety of work involved, I can't imagine a single person with the title of "chandelier-er" or whatever. Collectively, I'd say "lighting manufacturers."
posted by hydrophonic at 9:16 PM on October 24, 2005

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker"

That seems old enough that chandler must be quite archaic, though it survives very commonly in the context of ship-chandler (the tradesman who supplies the small gear needs of a boat).

OED: most recent citation for chandler = candlestick is 1733, most recent for chandler = candlemaker is 1872.

[ME. chaundeler, chandeler, a. AF. chandeler, OF. chandelier (= Pr. candelier, It. candelliere):{em}L. type candel(l){amac}rius, f. candel(l)a CANDLE.]
posted by Rumple at 11:24 PM on October 24, 2005

I believe chandler is the correct term for a person who makes chandeliers.

Because of etymology? Then you must believe bead means 'prayer.' Words mean (oddly enough) what it says they mean in the dictionary (assuming that's an accurate reflection of how they're used by native speakers, which these days is usually the case), and if you look up chandler you won't see anything about making chandeliers. Amro had it right in the first comment.
posted by languagehat at 7:11 AM on October 25, 2005

While I concede that I'm arguing for an archaic usage, I still believe it's the best choice. Regardless, I actually think hydrophonic has the best answer.
posted by jdroth at 8:29 AM on October 25, 2005

It's not an "archaic" usage, it's a usage you made up, one that has never existed in the actual English language. Here are the OED definitions for chandler; if you can find anything about making chandeliers there, I'll be much surprised.

1. A stand or support for a candle, a candlestick; a chandelier. (Chiefly northern, now Obs.)

2. One whose trade it is to make or sell candles. (Also TALLOW-CHANDLER, WAX-CHANDLER.)
b. Formerly, an officer who superintended the supply of candles, etc., in a household.

3. In extended sense: a. A retail dealer in provisions, groceries, etc.: often somewhat contemptuous. b. in comb. = dealer, trader, as in CORN-CHANDLER, SHIP-CHANDLER.
posted by languagehat at 1:29 PM on October 25, 2005

It's not an "archaic" usage, it's a usage you made up

I prefer "extrapolated". It's not worth arguing over since hydrophonic's answer obviates the need for such a definition, anyhow.
posted by jdroth at 1:44 PM on October 25, 2005