Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “canvass” come from?

Canvass comes from Middle English canevas, from Old Northern French canevas, originally denoting a coarse fabric made from hemp.

canvass (English): A solicitation of voters or public opinion; A...

Definitions

  1. A solicitation of voters or public opinion; A...

Ancestry of “canvass”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcanvasA type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful...
2Middle Englishcanevasflaxen fabric, canvas; A portion of canvas; a...
3Old Northern Frenchcanevas—
4Latincannabaceus—
5Late LatincannabumAlternative form of cannabis
6Latincannabishemp; dative/ablative plural of cannabum;...
7Ancient Greekκάνναβιςhemp; hemp seed

Words derived from “canvass”

  • canvassing
  • canvasser
  • recanvass
  • telecanvassing
  • canvasser
Every word from Ancient Greek κάνναβις →