Candia

Candia

English

Etymology 1

From Venetian or Latin, from Ancient Greek Χάνδαξ (Khándax) or Χάνδακας (Khándakas), from Arabic رَبْض الخَنْدَق‎ (rabḍ al-ḵandaq), name of the Cretan city of Heraklion under the Emirate of Crete.

Alternative forms

• Candie, Candy

Proper noun

Candia

1. (historical) The Mediterranean island of Crete.
   • 1753, Samuel Richardson, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, Volume 2, Letter 36, p. 350,

     Mr. Beauchamp, a young man of learning and fine parts, happened to make an acquaintance with Mr. Grandison in the island of Candia, where they met as countrymen, which, from a sympathy of minds, grew immediately into an intimacy that will hardly ever end.

2. (historical) The Cretan city of Heraklion.
   • 1718, Daniel Defoe, A Continuation of Letters Written by a Turkish Spy at Paris, London: W. Taylor, Letter 10, p. 222,

     The Fortifications of the Town and Port of Dunkirk I send thee as a thing by it self, because I am inform’d the Grand Seignior has commanded thee to make a Port and Harbour at Candia, which he designs to make the strongest City, and the safest Harbour in the World.

3. A town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States.

Etymology 2

From Portuguese Candea from Sinhalese, literally “the five counties/countries on the mountain.”

Alternative forms

• Candi, Candy, Kandy

Proper noun

Candia

1. (historical) The Kingdom of Kandy on the island now known as Sri Lanka.
2. (historical) The city of Kandy, the capital of that kingdom.
   • 1800, William Johnston, A Voyage to the East Indies by Paulinus of St. Bartholomew, London: J. Davis, Book 2, Chapter 12, p. 428,

     Not far from the city of Candia, where the king of Ceylon generally resides, is a river which flows down from one of the mountains.

Anagrams

• Dacian