Etymology: Middle English canele, < Old French canele, canelle (modern French cannelle) cinnamon < medieval Latin canella, diminutive of canna cane.

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 Compare slightly earlier channel n.¹ and slightly later canal n., which superseded this word, and show semantic overlap with it.With sense 1b compare later kennel n.² Compare also occasional use of a form cannal in this sense, probably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).

Etymology: Probably a specific sense development of candle n. (compare regional forms at that entry).With the suggested semantic motivation compare:1742 R. North & M. North Life F. North 143 Famous for yielding the Canal (or Candle) Coal. It is so term'd, as I guess, because the Manufacturers, in that Country, use no Candle, but work by the Light of their Coal Fire.1796 R. Kirwan Elem. Mineral. II. 52 Cannel Coal. This is found chiefly in Lancashire, its proper name is Candle Coal, as it burns like a Candle, but Candles in that shire are called Cannels.1811 J. Pinkerton Petralogy I. 572 Cannel coal, so called from the enunciation of the word candle, in Scotland and the north of England, because its flame is clear and pure, like that of a candle.1836 G. Head Home Tour 14 It seems to be the general opinion that having been used to light the men at their work, and serving as candle, it became by corruption ‘Cannel’ coal.1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby Cannle, a candle. Cannle-coal or kennel-coal, so called because it burns without smoke like a candle. Some later forms show alteration after canal n. or channel n.¹, apparently as a result of early association with cannel n.²; the form channel coal is sometimes rationalized as being so called because the coal in question was transported from Newcastle by ship via the English Channel.

Etymology: < French canneler to cut grooves or channels in (something) (first half of the 14th cent. in Middle French) < canne cane n.¹