Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “canvas” come from?

Canvas comes from Old Northern French canevas, a fabric term of uncertain ultimate origin.

canvas (English): A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful...

Definitions

  1. A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful...

Ancestry of “canvas”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcanevasflaxen fabric, canvas; A portion of canvas; a...
2Old Northern Frenchcanevas—
3Latincannabaceus—
4Late LatincannabumAlternative form of cannabis
5Latincannabishemp; dative/ablative plural of cannabum;...
6Ancient Greekκάνναβιςhemp; hemp seed

Words derived from “canvas”

  • canvass
  • canvassing
  • canvasser
  • canvasback
  • canvasman
  • recanvass
  • canvasboard
  • canvaslike
  • canvassy
  • recanvas
  • canvassable
  • noncanvas
  • telecanvassing
  • canvasless
  • キャンバス
  • แคนวาส
  • canvasser
Every word from Ancient Greek κάνναβις →