October theme: Ancient Borrowings 𒅴

Introduction

Sumerians and reeds were very influential! (Cuneiform was written with a sharpened reed stylus and was the first writing system, possibly tied with Egyptian hieroglyphs.)

I love that "canon" and "cannon" are related.

Teaser

cane, cannon, channel, canister, canon

Full Text

• Sumerian 𒄀 gi reed

  • Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 gi.na gi + a grammatical ending, oblique I think?

    • Akkadian 𒄀 qanû reed

      • Mycenaean Greek 𐀒𐀜𐀛𐀠 ko-no-ni-pi cross bar?
      • Canaanite *qnh

        • Hebrew קָנֶה qané cane, stick, reed, windpipe
        • Phoenician *qane

          • Punic *kˤane plural: *kˤanīm

            • Berber aɣanim
      • ? Pre-Greek substrate?

        • Classical Greek κάννα kánna reed, reed mat

          • Latin canna reed, cane, pipe, flute

            • Western Romance

              • French canne cane, stick, peg, rod

                • English cane
              • Italian canna cane, rod, pipe, tube

                • Italian cannolo little tube, cannoli

                  • English cannoli
                • Italian cannone big pipe, cannon

                  • French canon cannon

                    • English cannon
                  • German Kanone cannon, gun
              • Spanish caña cane, reed, glass of beer, tiller

                • Spanish caño tube, pipe, drain, channel

                  • Spanish cañón (big) pipe, barrel (of a gun), cannon, canyon

                    • English canyon
            • Latin canālis pipe, ditch, channel, canal

              • Western Romance

                • Old French chenal

                  • French chenal
                  • French Chanel
                  • English channel
                • Italian canale canal, channel

                  • German Kanal canal, channel
                • Spanish canal canal, channel, cleavage
              • French canal learned re-borrowing

                • English canal
                • Romanian canal canal, channel
          • Classical Greek κᾰ́νᾰστρον kánastron wicker basket with -tron tool suffix

            • Latin canistrum wicker basket

              • Western Romance

                • Italian canestro basket, hamper

                  • Italian pallacanestro basketball
              • English canister
          • Classical Greek κᾰνών kanṓn rod, pole, monochord (musical instrument), measuring rod, rule, norm, principle, paradigm

            • Greek κανόνας kanónas canon
            • Aramaic qānōnāʾ

              • Arabic قَانُون qānūn canon, axiom, principle, law, qanun

                • Hindi क़ानून qānūn law, statute
                • Persian قانون qânun law, statute, rule
                • Turkish kanun law, statute, code, qanun

                  • English qanun
              • Hebrew קָנוֹן qānôn canon
              • Classical Syriac ܩܢܘܢܐ qānōnāʾ rule, hymn, clerical order, measuring rod, section of scripture

                • Classical Syriac ܟܢܘܢܬܐ kənūntāʾ plumb line, ruler, straight edge
            • Latin canōn rule, canon, catalog of sacred writings

              • Western Romance

                • Italian canone canon, fee
              • French canon canon

                • English canon
              • Russian кано́н kanón

Visual

Collected English words

cane, cannoli, cannon, canyon, channel, canal, canister, qanun, canon