Etymologically
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canna

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 06:53. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkan.na][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkan.na][1]

Forms

canna f (genitive cannae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), itself from Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qanûm, “reed”).[1][2][3] Compare Biblical Hebrew קָנֶה (qāne, “reed”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Varro of Atax, of the second third of the 1st century BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a small reed, a cane, less common than harundō, as in Ovid and Columella, and a reed pipe, Pan-pipe, as in Ovid.[2][5][6] Döderlein contrasts calamus, a reed by its hollowness, with culmus, a stalk by its height.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a reed, cane, flute, windpipe and an ell.[8] In Medieval Latin it meant a rod as a land measure, an ell of cloth, and with mellis sugar cane.[9][10] It survives in Italian canna, French canne and Spanish caña.[1] English cane came through Old French in the late 14th century, and Italian cannone “large tube”, from it, gave English cannon about 1400.[3] canālis “channel” is related.[1]

Timeline

  • 1st century BC – Varro of Atax uses it.[4]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of reeds and pipes.[2][6][4]
  • 1st century AD – Columella uses it.[5][4]
  • late 14th century – English cane is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A reed, cane.[2]
  2. A reed pipe, Pan-pipe.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A rod (land measure); an ell; sugar cane.[9][10]

Word family

  • canālicula
  • canāliculātus
  • canāliculus
  • canāliēnsis
  • harundō
  • calamus
  • English cane
  • English cannon

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  10. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press