cannel, n.1
Forms: ME–15 kanel, ME–16 canel, ME–16 canell, 15 canelle, 15 kanell, 15–16 cannell, 15–17 cannel, 17 kannel.
Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French kanel, chanel.
Etymology: < Anglo-Norman kanel, Anglo-Norman and Middle French canel, Middle French cannel hollow bed of a river or stream (late 13th cent. or earlier), passage, tube (13th cent. or earlier), water pipe, gutter (late 14th cent. or earlier), variant of Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French chanel channel n.1
Compare also post-classical Latin canella , canellum , canellus (natural or artificial) watercourse (from late 12th cent. in British sources), pipe, tube, collarbone (from 13th cent. in British sources).
Compare slightly earlier channel n.1 and slightly later canal n., which superseded this word, and show semantic overlap with it.
With sense 1b compare later kennel n.2 Compare also occasional use of a form cannal in this sense, probably reflecting association with canal n.:
1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters i. 83 The common cannals in the streets.
With sense 3 compare Anglo-Norman canole collarbone (13th cent. or earlier; 12th cent. in Old French as chanole ); it is possible that this sense shows a borrowing of this distinct word, assimilated to the present word. Compare later channel n.1 9, kennel n.3, and also cannel-bone n. and channel-bone n.
In sense 4 apparently after post-classical Latin canellus (although quot. a1500 also provides the only evidence for the Latin word in this sense).
Obs.
1.
a. The hollow bed of a river, stream, or other body of running water; the course through which a river or stream flows; = channel n.1 1.
a1400 (▸a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1866 He did þe waters ga til þair canels þat þai com fra.
a1400 (▸a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 22577 In-til hir canel [Vesp. chanel] sal scho [sc. þe se] turn, And als til þairis ilk a burn.
1526 R. Whitford tr. Martiloge f. cxxxiiiiv The ryuer also of pade by his commaundement wente backe from the chirche londes in to the canell, & neuer after noyed ne hurte ony parte of þe same londes.
1678 tr. T. Hobbes De Mirabilibus Pecci 64 The water which from under ground doth rise And with its forreign stream fills up the Well, Does not come thither brought by 'ts own Cannel, And willingly anothers right invades.
b. An artificial watercourse running at the side or along the middle of a street or road, to carry away the surface water; = channel n.1 3a. Also fig. Cf. kennel n.2
1422 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 121 (MED) The mayster of ludgate puttyth out, oft tymes, dung in the Canell and stoppit the watir goyng, to grete nusans to all folk ther passyng.
a1450 (▸c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xxxix. l. 243 Is likned to a flood..that Trowbled As A kanel schal be.
1533 T. More Apologye xxxii. f.177v They wyll..knele downe in the kanell and make theyr prayours in the open stretes.
1541 T. Elyot Image of Gouernance xx. f. 36 All the stynkyng canelles of vyce.
1563 2nd Tome Homelyes sig. Eee3v They lye stynkyng in our bodies, as in a lothsome sinke or canell.
1657 T. Reeve God's Plea for Nineveh 92 Unravell your lives, sweep the hid corners, rake the cannels.
1666 S. Pepys Diary 6 Sept. (1972) VII. 278 It was pretty to see how hard the women did work in the cannells sweeping of water.
1714 J. Blanch Beaux Merchant ii. 17 You have rak'd in some dirty Kannel, and then laid the blame upon your Landlady's Soup.
2. A pipe, duct, tube, or tubular cavity; (also) a tap for a cask. Cf. channel n.1 8a.
a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 287 (MED) Þou schalt peerse a litil hole in siphac & sette þerto a canel [L. cannula] & drawe out..watir [etc.].
▸ ?1440 tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 464 Canels or pipis, wynes forth to lede Into the vat.
a1475 J. Russell Bk. Nurture (Harl. 4011) in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 121 Looke þow haue tarrers [and] wyne canels.
1531–2 in J. Raine Durham Househ. Bk. (1844) 74 2 dd. spigotts et cannells.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie N 128 The end of the cannelles of a fountayne, where through þe water commeth forth.
1615 H. Crooke Μικροκοσμογραϕια 134 If there had beene a cauity formed in the Liuer, then must the Chylus haue had a Canel or pipe for his egresse.
1629 Churchwardens' Accts. Houghton-le-Spring Giuen for a spidick and a Cannell—jd.
1669 in L. Cheves Shaftesbury Papers (1897) V. 139 Three duz of wooden spoones & ten tapps & Cannells.
1780 P. Degravers Compl. Treat. Human Eye 181 The cannel formed by the union of the tarsi, is not full enough of lacrymal fluid to force them, as to be distant from one another.
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3. The neck. Cf. channel n.1 9, kennel n.3
c1400 (▸?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 2298 Kepe þy kanel at þis kest.
4. A part of a bell (not identified).
a1500 Promptorium Parvulorum (King's Cambr.) 60 Canel of a belle, canellus.
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5. A passage (lit. and fig.); a medium of transmission.
?1553 tr. Pope Pius II Hist. Ladye Lucres & Eurialus sig. D.iiv Betwyxte booth houses was a darke canel, whyche no manne came to.
1739 ‘J. Philander’ Vitulus Aureus 22 When I see a Person signally degenerate from the Worth of his supposed Ancestors, I charitably imagine there has been some Flaw in the Cannel, by which some vitiated Stream has crept in.
a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iv. 399 They must be..introducible by other cannels.
Compounds
C1. General attrib. (In sense 1b.)
c1450 Brut (Cambr. Hh.6.9) 443 (MED) Women of þe same parish come oute to hym..with canell dong & þere made an ende of hym in þe high streit.
1480 Cronicles Eng. (Caxton) xlvii. sig. u7v The women..come oute with stones and canel dunge [1533 Fabyans Cronycle ordure of the strete].
1593 H. Smith Serm. (1866) II. 33 When we knocked at the cannel-door, then the good door was shut.
C2.
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canel-piece n. a piece of armour protecting the neck and shoulders.
c1425 Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iii. l. 74 Some wolde haue of plate a bavier, Þat on þe brest fastnyd be a-forn, Þe canel-pece more esy to be born.
canel raker n. a person employed to clean out street gutters, a scavenger; cf. channel raker n. at channel n.1 Compounds 2, kennel-raker n.
?1518 Cocke Lorelles Bote sig. B.vjv Bewardes, bryckeborners, and canel rakers.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie C 55 A canell raker. Purgator platearum.
