Crossword Dictionary
ingle
ingle, ingles - n
a fire
An inglenook or chimney corner is a recess that adjoins a fireplace. The word comes from "ingle", an old Scots word for a domestic fire (derived from the Gaelic aingeal), and "nook".
The inglenook originated as a partially enclosed hearth area, appended to a larger room. The hearth was used for cooking, and its enclosing alcove became a natural place for people seeking warmth to gather. With changes in building design, kitchens became separate rooms, while inglenooks were retained in the living space as intimate warming places, subsidiary spaces within larger rooms.
etymology
"fireplace," c. 1500, from Scottish, usually said to be from Gaelic aingeal "fire, light" ("but there are difficulties" [OED]), a word of uncertain origin. The vogue for Scottish poetry in late 18c. introduced ingleside "fireside" (1747) and ingle-nook,inglenook "corner by the fire" (1773) to literary English.