Canaba (plural canabae) is a Latin term originally meaning a hut or hovel. From the time of Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD), it came to be used more specifically to denote a civilian settlement that developed in the vicinity of a Roman legionary fortress (castrum), known as canabae legionis.
Etymology
The etymology of canaba is uncertain. It has been compared to Ancient Greek κάναβος (kánabos, "wooden framework") and καλύβη (kalubē, "hut"), though the semantic fit is debated. A Semitic origin has also been proposed, with parallels in Aramaic ḥānūṯā (shop, tavern). Alternative spellings in Latin include cannaba, canava, cannava, caneva, canapa, and canipa.
Meanings
- Hut, hovel, cottage – the original sense, attested in late (post-classical) Latin sources such as Augustine's sermons.
- Wineshop, tavern, saloon – a low-grade drinking establishment.
- Settlement of traders and discharged soldiers (in the plural canabae) – the civilian community that grew up outside a permanent Roman military camp.
- Military camp/fort (in the plural) – by extension, the area of the camp itself.
Historical Context
Permanent Roman legionary fortresses attracted military dependents, civilian contractors, traders, artisans, food and drink sellers, and families of soldiers. These people required housing, and their settlements—the canabae—formed immediately outside the fortifications. Unlike the vicus (village, plural vici), which typically grew up outside smaller auxiliary forts, the canabae were associated specifically with legionary bases. Over time, many canabae evolved into permanent towns and, in some cases, modern cities.
Examples of Canabae that became later cities
- Canabae of Deva Victrix → Chester, England
- Canabae of Isca Silurium → Caerleon, Wales
- Canabae of Vindobona → Vienna, Austria
- Canabae of Argentoratum → Strasbourg, France
- Canabae of Nijmegen → Nijmegen, Netherlands
Linguistic Descendants
The Latin canaba is the probable source of several Romance and other words:
- Galician: cánaba
- Italian: canova
- Serbo-Croatian: konoba
References
- Lewis, Charlton T. and Charles Short (1879). A Latin Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Oxford Latin Dictionary (1982). Oxford University Press.
- Mason, D. J. P. (1987). "Chester: The Canabae Legionis". Britannia 18: 143–168.
- Mommsen, Theodor (1873). "Die römischen Lagerstädte". Hermes 7: 303–308.
- Wikipedia, "Canaba". Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaba.
