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can·yon

(kănyən)

A narrow chasm with steep cliff walls, cut into the earth by running water; a gorge.

[Spanish cañón, possibly augmentative of caña, tube, cane (from Latin canna, reed; see CANE) or alteration of callón, canyon (from augmentative of calle, street, road, from Latin callis, path, of unknown origin).]

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canyon

Blyde River Canyon Mpumalanga, South Africa

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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