From Latin 'cannabis' (hemp) — literally 'hemp-stuff,' etymologically the same word as 'cannabis.'
A strong, heavy cloth of hemp or cotton, used for sails, tents, and painting surfaces; the surface on which an oil painting is executed.
From Anglo-Norman 'canevaz' and Old French 'chanevas' (hemp cloth, a cloth made from hemp fibre), from Vulgar Latin *'cannapaceus' (made of hemp, hemp-derived), from Latin 'cannabis' (hemp), from Greek 'kánnabis' (hemp), from a Central Asian source word — probably Scythian or Thracian — that also gives Old English 'hænep' and modern English 'hemp.' Canvas literally means 'hemp-stuff' or 'hemp-cloth.' The Central Asian word for the hemp plant spread along trade routes into Greek and Latin, and through two different pathways produced both 'canvas' (the Latin route,
The verb 'to canvass' (to solicit votes or opinions) derives from the same word. The original meaning was 'to toss in a canvas sheet' — a form of rough physical examination or punishment. From 'tossing someone in a blanket,' the meaning shifted to 'examining or discussing something thoroughly,' and from there to 'soliciting opinions or votes.' The difference between