Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “canal” come from?

canal (French) comes from Old French canal, from Latin canālis, from Latin canna, from Ancient Greek κάννα, from Akkadian 𒄀, from Sumerian 𒄀 — reed; a certain unit of length.

canal (French): canal; channel

Definitions

  1. canal; channel

Ancestry of “canal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcanal—
2Latincanālis—
3LatincannaA reed, cane; Anything made of reed or cane;...
4Ancient Greekκάνναgiant reed; reed mat
5Akkadian𒄀reed; a certain unit of length
6Sumerian𒄀reed; a certain unit of length

Words derived from “canal”

  • canaliser
  • canalisation
  • nanocanal
  • canalaire
  • kanalisere
  • kanalisere
  • kanalisere
  • néarchanáil
  • canáil
  • kanal
  • Canalul Mânecii
  • canal
  • کانال
  • قنال
Every word from Sumerian 𒄀 →