To kindle is to start a fire or make it burn more strongly. It can also mean to stir up a feeling or interest in someone.
From Old Norse “kynda” meaning “to kindle, to set fire to”, related to Old Norse “kuni” (fuel). The emotional sense grew from the image of lighting a flame inside someone.
When we say an idea or story “kindled” someone’s imagination, we’re literally picturing a mental fire being lit. The e-reader brand “Kindle” leans on that metaphor: books as sparks. It’s a reminder that one small spark—literal or mental—can change a whole landscape.
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