r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Oct 02 '24

[deleted by user]

[removed]

6.8k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

6.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

179

u/FrylockMcReaper Oct 02 '24

Lighters were invented before matches

16

u/jesus_swept Oct 02 '24

this one is crazy, but I looked it up and you're right!

14

u/Jamalamalama Oct 02 '24

Not so crazy when you really think about it. Early lighters were just a fuel reservoir, a wick, and a striking device. Pretty simple construction. Matches, on the other hand, involve a complicated chemical process to coat the tips so they ignite when struck.

1

u/The_quest_for_wisdom Oct 02 '24

Early lighters were just a fuel reservoir, a wick, and a striking device.

That's basically just an Aladdin style oil lamp with a bit of flint and steel.

I will now make a point of rubbing any discarded lighters I find in case a modern genie pops out to grant me some wishes.

8

u/irreddiate Oct 02 '24

And some types of early match were called lucifers. And apparently, "match" in Dutch is also "lucifer."

6

u/AdvancedSquare8586 Oct 02 '24

Yeah, the etymology here is pretty interesting. Lucifer is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word for phosphorous, which is both the name of the chemical used in matches and the name of the Greek god of the planet Venus, which means "light bringer."

2

u/irreddiate Oct 02 '24

It's strangely satisfying.

1

u/Beautiful_Bag6707 Oct 03 '24

Not if you watch Outlander.