acender

Alternative forms

• cender

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese acender (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin accendere (“to kindle or light a fire”). Cognate with Portuguese acender.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aθenˈdeɾ/, (western) /asenˈdeɾ/

Verb

acender (first-person singular present acendo, first-person singular preterite acendín, past participle acendido, short past participle aceso)
acender (first-person singular present acendo, first-person singular preterite acendim or acendi, past participle acendido, short past participle aceso, reintegrationist norm)

1. (transitive) to light (a fire, a match...)
   • 1390, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Os Miragres de Santiago. Versión gallega del Códice latino del siglo XII atribuido al papa Calisto I, Madrid: C.S.I.C., page 200:

     eles espantados leuãtarõse moyto agina et acenderõ candeas, et acharõno jazer sen fala et atal como morto

     they, horrified, got up hastily and lighted torches, and found him lying voiceless, as dead

2. (transitive) to turn on
3. (intransitive) to light up

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “acender”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “acender”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “acender”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “acender”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “acender”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “acender”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Etymology

Inherited from Latin accendere (“kindle or light a fire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.t͡sẽˈdeɾ/
• Rhymes: -eɾ

Verb

acender

1. (transitive) to light a fire
   • 13th century, Pero da Ponte, Quem a sesta quiser dormir (facsimile)

     E vedes que bem se guisou / de fria cozinha teer / o infançom, ca nom mandou / des ogan'i fogo acender;

     And you see how much got dressed / for having a cold kitchen / the noble knight, that did not order / this year to light the fire;

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "acender"

Alternative forms

• accender (pre-standardization spelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese acender, from Latin accendere (“to kindle or light a fire”).

Pronunciation

• Homophone: ascender (chiefly Brazil)
• Hyphenation: a‧cen‧der

Verb

acender (first-person singular present acendo, first-person singular preterite acendi, past participle acendido, short past participle aceso)

2. (transitive) to light (to set fire to)

   Synonyms: incendiar, atear/tacar/botar/pôr fogo em

   Antonym: apagar

   • 1938, Graciliano Ramos, “Sinha Victoria”, in Vidas Seccas [Barren Lives], Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, page 57:

     Para bem dizer, não se accendiam candieiros na casa.

     Strictly speaking, no lamps were lit in the house.

4. (intransitive) to light up; to catch fire

   Synonym: pegar fogo

   Antonym: apagar

6. (transitive) to turn on (to activate a source of light)

   Synonym: ligar

   Antonyms: desligar, apagar

8. (intransitive, of a source of light) to be turned on

   Synonym: ligar

   Antonyms: desligar, apagar

10. (figurative, transitive) to give birth to (to create or start something that can’t be stopped)

Etymology

From Latin accendere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /aθenˈdeɾ/ [a.θẽn̪ˈd̪eɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /asenˈdeɾ/ [a.sẽn̪ˈd̪eɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: a‧cen‧der

Verb

acender (first-person singular present aciendo, first-person singular preterite acendí, past participle acendido)

1. (archaic) to light, ignite
2. (archaic) to turn on

Further reading

• “acender”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10