Etymology of cannabis and the “kaneh”

Rabbi Michoel Green writes about the etymology of the word “cannabis”, noting that it contains the root K.N.H, a versatile and multifaceted verb in Hebrew. He asserts that this verb has applications across numerous fields in both Hebrew and foreign languages.

The original meaning of “kaneh” is a stalk or reed, with one of its famous appearances in the Bible being “kaneh bosem” (fragrant cane). For the purpose of the discussion, its exact botanical identification is not crucial, although Green also claims that it refers to cannabis. The fact that the “kaneh” is hollow and narrow has led to many hollow or narrow objects containing this root, represented by the letters K/C and N. In Hebrew, this root also has other meanings indirectly related to actions performed with a reed, such as fighting with a spear or transferring ownership – all of which have linguistic sources in the Hebrew language.

Some of the foreign words to which the Hebrew word “kaneh” has contributed include:

• Cane: Originates from the reed-like form.
• Candy: Originates from “kaneh” as in sugar cane.
• Cannon: Its form is like a hollow reed.
• Gun: Possibly a phonetic derivative of cannon.
• Canal: Similar to a pipe or groove.
• Channel: Similar to the idea of a canal.
• Canyon: A narrow and long valley, like a groove.
• Canoe: Hollow like a reed.
• Canvas: Made from hemp fibers, cannabis.
• Canon: From the rod of judges.
• Canonize: From the term “canon.”
• Cinnamon: One of the possible identifications of “kaneh.”
• Cannoli: An Italian pastry in the shape of a hollow reed.
• Canister: A cylindrical container, similar to a reed.

Variations in Hebrew include: kaneh, kaniah, ken, mikneh, kain, kinah, kin’ah, tikun, kenas, etc.

This is the extent of Green’s article. Now, a small addition from me. In the Middle Ages, during a Saxon land transfer ceremony called “Livery of seisin”, it was customary to use earth and a branch in the symbolic transfer of ownership. When the parties met, they would symbolically exchange control of the land by passing a “turf and twig” or a clump of earth from the seller to the buyer.

However, it is likely that the word “kinyan” (ownership) is related to metal (“kain”). In Rome, there was a goods transfer ceremony called “Mancipatio”, in which a symbolic object was transferred to effect the transfer of ownership. This ceremony involved the presence of five witnesses and another person holding scales. The seller and buyer stood opposite each other, and the buyer touched the copper scales and placed metal on them, declaring, “I claim that this property is mine by Roman right”. The metal being weighed was transferred to the seller as a symbolic sign of payment. In this way, the buyer was “buying” it. The property being transferred was often “mikneh” which included lands, slaves, animals, and sometimes women – all considered “kinyan” i.e property.

The reason the kaneh was called such is probably related to poisonous plants. In alchemical traditions, poisonous plants were associated with lead, known as a toxic metal, and therefore, any plant causing hallucinations was considered a “kaneh”. Toxic metals were also called “kain”.