One way to hold this word: a pale, slightly greasy substance that is drawn out of petroleum or coal and keeps to itself. Warm it and it runs as a thin, almost colourless oil. Let it cool and it sets into a soft white block. In either state it burns steadily and reacts with the things around it very slowly, which is why people trust it in a lamp, in a candle, and over the top of a jar of jam.
可以想成：一種從石油或煤裡提煉出來的東西，白白的、有點油，個性很安靜。加熱它，它就變成很稀、幾乎沒有顏色的油。放涼它，它就凝成一塊軟軟的白色固體。不管是油還是塊，它燒起來都很穩，也很少跟旁邊的東西起反應。所以大家敢把它放進燈裡、做成蠟燭、封在果醬罐口。paraffin 的各種用法，可以看成是在講這一團東西的不同形態，或在講它所屬的化學家族。
From the word’s history
The name records that quiet character: Latin parum 'too little' plus affinis 'related', so 'having little affinity' — it does not readily join with other substances.
名字本身就在講這個個性：拉丁文 parum（太少）加 affinis（有關係），合起來是「很少跟別的東西攀關係」。當年命名的人看上的，正是它幾乎不起化學反應。
Wiktionary, "paraffin"
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