Canalize
/ˈkænəlaɪz/noun
To direct or guide something into a channel or particular course.
Did you know?Canalize comes from the same Latin root as words for a pipe or hollow channel, so its history is basically about turning wild movement into controlled passage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱenh₂-
“to gape, open, or become hollow”
Latin
Latin
canalis
“a channel, pipe, or watercourse”
French
Old French
canal
“a water channel or artificial waterway”
16th Century
English
canal
“an artificial waterway for navigation or drainage”
17th Century
English
canalize
“to make into a canal; later, to direct into a channel or course”
Modern English
English
canalize
“to direct or guide into a channel or particular course”