English
funnel
Funnel comes from Middle English funell.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500funell
- Englishearliest quotation 2013funnel
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500funell
- Englishearliest quotation 2013funnel
Earliest quotation: 2013, Jonathan Caren, The Recommendation: “The first time he did it was to this…”
The story
From Middle English funell, fonel, probably through Old French *founel (compare Middle French fonel, Old Occitan fonilh, enfounilh), from Latin fundibulum, infundibulum (‘funnel’), from infundere (‘to pour in’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- ‘to pour’
yet, refuse, gut, font, fuse, effusive, 39 more
through Proto-Italic *hundō ‘to pour out’
confused, diffusion, foundry, fondue, perfusion, profusion, effusion, 35 more
through Latin fundō ‘to pour out, shed’
foundation, founder, fundamental, confusion, fusion, refund, confuse, diffuse, confound, 45 more
through Latin īnfundō ‘to pour in’
Today it means
noun A utensil in the shape of an inverted hollow cone terminating in a narrow pipe, for channeling liquids or granular material; typically used when transferring said substances from any container into ones with a significantly smaller opening.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English funell / funnel