cannula

English

Etymology

An illustration of a nasal cannula.

Borrowed from Late Latin cannula, canula (“tubular surgical instrument”), from Latin cannula (“reed; small reed- or tube-shaped object”), from canna (“cane; reed; object made from or shaped like a cane or reed”) + -ula (feminine form of -ulus (diminutive suffix). Canna is derived from Ancient Greek κᾰ́ννᾱ (kắnnā, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qanûm, “cane; reed”).

The plural form cannulae is borrowed from Late Latin cannulae.

Pronunciation

• Singular
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkænjʊlə/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkænjələ/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

  • Hyphenation: can‧nu‧la
• Plural (cannulae):
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkænjʊli/, /-aɪ/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkænjəli/, /-aɪ/
  • Hyphenation: can‧nu‧lae

Noun

cannula (plural cannulas or cannulae or cannulæ)

2. (medicine) A tube inserted into the body to drain or inject fluid.
   • 1915, F. H. Westmacott, System of Treatment by many Writers, volume III, The Macmillan Company, page 717:

     Two or three cannulæ are requisite also for washing out the sinuses.

   • 2011, Stephen King, 11/22/63, New York: Scribner, →ISBN, page 819 of 819–820:

     The cannula had come askew in his nose and he pushed it straight, his hand moving slowly, like the hand of a man who is dreaming with his eyes open.

3. (aviation) A hose or tube that connects directly from an oxygen bottle or other source to the user's nose, commonly used by aircraft pilots or others needing direct oxygen breathing apparatus.

Alternative forms

• canula

Derived terms

• cannular
• cannulate
• cannulation
• cannulise, cannulize
• microcannula
• nasal cannula

Translations

tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid

• Catalan: cànula f
• Finnish: kanyyli (fi)
• French: canule (fr) f
• German: Kanüle (de) f
• Polish: kaniula f
• Portuguese: cânula (pt) f
• Russian: каню́ля (ru) f (kanjúlja)
• Spanish: cánula (es) f, bitoque m (of a syringe)
• Swedish: kanyl (sv) c

Further reading

• cannula on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:cannula (medical) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cannula.

Noun

cannula f (plural cannule)

1. cannula

Related terms

• canna

Latin

Etymology

From canna +‎ -ula.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkan.nʊ.ɫa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkan.nu.la]

Noun

cannula f (genitive cannulae); first declension

1. diminutive of canna: a small reed or tube-shaped object.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	cannula	cannulae
genitive	cannulae	cannulārum
dative	cannulae	cannulīs
accusative	cannulam	cannulās
ablative	cannulā	cannulīs
vocative	cannula	cannulae

Related terms

• canālicius
• canālicula
• canāliculātus
• canāliculus
• canāliēnsis
• canālis
• canna
• cannamella
• cannētum
• canneus

Descendants

• Romanian: canură
• Taranto: cánulo "candle"
• Cerignano: cánele "candle"
• Subiaco: cannuia "corncob"
• Venetan: canola; candola (Treviso)
• Friulian: canule
• → Etruscan: 𐌂𐌀𐌍𐌋𐌀 (canla)
• → Catalan: cànula
• → English: cannula
• → French: canule
• → Italian: cannula
• → Polish: kaniula
• → Portuguese: cânula
• → Russian: каню́ля (kanjúlja)
• → Spanish: cánula

References

• Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1911), “cannula”, in Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), page 124

Further reading

• “cannula”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “cannula”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.