"the sconces burning in the passage provided some light"
Origin
late Middle English (originally denoting a portable lantern with a screen to protect the flame): shortening of Old French esconse ‘lantern’, or from medieval Latin sconsa, from Latin absconsa (laterna) ‘dark (lantern)’ (i.e. a lantern with a device for concealing the light), from abscondere ‘to hide’.
a shelter or screen serving as protection from fire or the weather.
Origin
late Middle English: from Dutch schans ‘brushwood’, from Middle High German schanze . The earliest recorded sense ‘screen, interior partition’ derives perhaps from sconce1; the later senses date from the late 16th century.
Use over time for: sconce
So, over time when someone was ensconced it meant maybe "Where you hang your light" on a wall. So, ensconced became where you were safe at night because you had a light on maybe in some kind of hut or building. When you have a light on it is more difficult for animals or insects or people to cause you harm (at least this is how people tend to think worldwide).
establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe, or secret place.
"Agnes ensconced herself in their bedroom"
h
Similar:
settle
install
establish
park
shut
plant
lodge
position
seat
entrench
shelter
screen
nestle
curl up
snuggle up
dig in
Origin
late 16th century (in the senses ‘fortify’ and ‘shelter within or behind a fortification’; formerly also as insconce ): from en-1, in-2 ‘in’ + sconce2.
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