canyon

Where does the word "canyon" come from? It comes from Spanish caño, passing through Mexican Spanish before entering English (1800s).

Canyon’s story begins in Spanish: caño meant “tube, pipe, gorge.” Meaning "tube" or "pipe", from Latin "canna" (reed). By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Mexican Spanish as cañón. Applied to deep river gorges in the Americas. It reached English by 1800s as canyon. English speakers met it in the Southwest; the Grand Canyon was named by John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition. Today, canyon means a deep, narrow valley with steep sides, often carved by a river.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · medieval caño "tube, pipe, gorge", meaning "tube" or "pipe", from Latin "canna" (reed).
2. Stage 2 · Mexican Spanish · 1700s cañón "a deep gorge", applied to deep river gorges in the Americas.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s canyon "a deep valley with steep sides", English speakers met it in the Southwest; the Grand Canyon was named by John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition.