canoe
UK[kəˈnuː]US[kəˈnuː]
n
A long, narrow, light boat with pointed ends, typically propelled by one or more people using paddles.
Etymology
The word 'canoe' entered English in the mid-16th century from Spanish 'canoa', which was itself borrowed from the Arawakan language of the Caribbean, specifically from the language of the Taíno people. The Taíno term 'kanawa' referred to a dugout boat, a vessel made by hollowing out a single tree trunk. This direct borrowing reflects the European explorers' encounter with a novel technology in the Americas for which they had no existing word. The term has remained remarkably stable in form and meaning, preserving its core association with a simple, paddled watercraft from its indigenous origins to its modern recreational and sporting use.
Analysis
This word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in English.
Examples
They paddled the canoe silently across the misty lake.
The traditional canoe was carved from a single piece of cedar.
We rented a canoe to explore the calm river waterways.