Cane
/keɪn/noun
A stiff stick used for support, walking, or striking; also a slender stem of a plant like sugarcane or bamboo.
Did you know?English cane and sugarcane ultimately come from Latin canna, a word for a reed or reed-like stalk, showing how ancient people turned plant stems into tools, symbols, and power objects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“To bend, curve, or be hollow (reconstructed root behind reed/stalk words).”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kánna
“A reed, reed-like stalk, or cane.”
Latin
Latin
canna
“A reed, cane, or stalk of a plant.”
Old French
Old French
cane
“A reed or cane; later a walking stick.”
Middle English
English
cane
“A reed, stalk, or walking stick.”
Modern English
English
cane
“A walking stick or a tall, slender plant stem such as sugarcane.”