Canada

See also: Appendix:Variations of "canada"

English

Etymology

    Borrowed from French Canada, from the Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”) (compare Onondaga gana꞉dá꞉yęʼ), ultimately from Proto-North Iroquoian *-nat-. See also "Name of Canada" on English Wikipedia.

    Pronunciation

    Proper noun

    Canada (countable and uncountable, plural Canadas)

    1. A country in North America. Capital: Ottawa. Largest city: Toronto.
      • 2015, Chigozie Obioma, The Fishermen, ONE, page 219:
        Father narrated the story of how Canada developed over a short period to surpass other countries, including Britain, from which it had emerged.
      • 2024 November 29, Lex Harvey, “Clashes erupted outside a Hindu temple near Toronto. They’re the latest sign of Canada and India’s spiraling relations”, in CNN‎[1]:
        While the existence of pro-Khalistan factions in Canada has long bothered India and acted as a wedge between the two countries, experts say tensions have sharply escalated under Modi and Trudeau, with little prospect for resolution.
      • 2025 January 27, David Charter, “Fafo diplomacy: How Colombia found out Trump meant business”, in The Times‎[2], archived from the original on 27 January 2025:
        Fafo works with small trading nations such as Colombia because US markets could quickly adapt to the greater expense of its coffee, flowers and other exports. There will be a different order of chaos, though, if Trump follows through on tariffs on the EU (17 per cent of US imports), Mexico (15 per cent), China (14 per cent) or Canada (12 per cent).
      • 2026 January 13, Ben Blanchard, Fabian Hamacher, “Taiwan thanks Canada for its support ahead of prime minister's China trip”, in Sharon Singleton, editor, Reuters‎[3], sourced from Taipei (Reuters), archived from the original on 13 January 2026:
        Taiwan President Lai Ching-te thanked Canada on Tuesday for its support during recent Chinese military drills and praised the deepening of ties between the two sides, shortly ahead of a visit to China by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Canada.
    2. (historical) Lower Canada 1791–1840 (also Canada East 1840–1867, now province of Quebec) or respectively Upper Canada (Canada West, now province of Ontario), often “the Canadas” (or politically, “United Canada” 1840–1867).
    3. (historical) (1608–1763) The most active province of New France. Nowadays corresponds to the territory of much of Quebec, Ontario, and several US states (aligning with the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa River plains and Great Lakes plains, and Laurentians).
    4. A surname.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • → Cherokee: ᎨᎾᏓ (genada)
    • French: canadair
    • Greek: καναντέρ (kanantér)
    • Italian: canadair
    • → Japanese: カナダ
    • Serbo-Croatian: kanader

    Translations

    Statistics

    • According to the 2010 United States Census, Canada is the 3616th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 9819 individuals. Canada is most common among White (52.75%) and Black/African-American (31.12%) individuals.

    Noun

    Canada (plural Canadas)

    1. (US, informal) A country bordering a larger country that shares many similarities with it, but is overshadowed by the more prominent larger.
      • 2015, Michael DeMocker, The land of waffles, frites, chocolate, meat and, oh yes, culture‎[4], Louisiana: The Times-Picayune, page 1:
        Belgium is France's Canada.

    See also

    territories of Canadaedit

    References

    Central Nahuatl

    Etymology

      Borrowed from Spanish Canadá.

      Proper noun

      Canada

      1. Canada (a country in North America)

      Danish

      Etymology

        Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

        Proper noun

        Canada

        1. Canada (a country in North America)

        Dutch

        Alternative forms

        Etymology

          Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

          The hamlet is attested as Canada in 1954. It was named after the country. Originally the name of a farmhouse.

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /ˈkɑ.naːˌdaː/
          • Audio:(file)
          • Hyphenation: Ca‧na‧da

          Proper noun

          Canada n

          1. Canada (a country in North America)
          2. a hamlet in Ooststellingwerf, Friesland, Netherlands

          Derived terms

          References

          • van Berkel, Gerard; Samplonius, Kees (2018), Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN

          Franco-Provençal

          Etymology

            Borrowed from French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

            Proper noun

            Canada ?

            1. Canada (a country in North America)

            French

            Etymology

              From the Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

              Pronunciation

              Proper noun

              Canada m

              1. Canada (a country in North America)

              Derived terms

              Descendants

              See also

              Italian

              Etymology

                Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                Alternative forms

                Etymology

                  Borrowed from French Canada.

                  Pronunciation

                  • IPA(key): /ˈka.na.da/
                  • Rhymes: -anada
                  • Hyphenation: Cà‧na‧da

                  Proper noun

                  Canada m

                  1. Canada (a country in North America)

                  Derived terms

                  Latin

                  Etymology

                    Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                    Pronunciation

                    Proper noun

                    Canā̆da f sg (genitive Canā̆dae); first declension (New Latin)

                    1. Canada (a country in North America; capital: Ottavia)
                    2. (historical) Canada (a French colony in the New France territory, North America; capital: Quebecum)
                      Hypernym: Nova Francia

                    Declension

                    First-declension noun, singular only.

                    Usage notes

                    • The word is usually read as Cánada, which would point to the middle-vowel being short. Yet in the original Laurentian kanata, we see the middle-vowel both stressed and long, which would thus yield Canāda.

                    Derived terms

                    See also

                    countries in North America: Amerī̆cae Septentriōnālis cīvitātēs (appendix)edit

                    Norwegian Bokmål

                    Etymology

                      Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                      Proper noun

                      Canada

                      1. Canada (a country in North America)

                      Derived terms

                      Norwegian Nynorsk

                      Etymology

                        Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                        Proper noun

                        Canada

                        1. Canada (a country in North America)

                        Derived terms

                        Romanian

                        Etymology

                          Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                          Pronunciation

                          • IPA(key): [kanada]
                          • Audio:(file)

                          Proper noun

                          Canada f

                          1. Canada (a country in North America)

                          Declension

                          singular
                          definite
                          nominative-accusative Canada
                          genitive-dative Canadei

                          Sardinian

                          Etymology

                            Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                            Proper noun

                            Canada ?

                            1. Canada (a country in North America)

                            Scottish Gaelic

                            Etymology

                              Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                              Proper noun

                              Canada m (genitive singular Canada, no plural)

                              1. Canada (a country in North America)
                                Tha Loch Lùthaise ann an Canada.
                                Lake Louise is in Canada.

                              Mutation

                              Mutation of Canada
                              radical lenition
                              Canada Chanada

                              Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
                              All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

                              Further reading

                              • Edward Dwelly (1911), “Canada”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN

                              Swedish

                              Proper noun

                              Canada n (genitive Canadas)

                              1. dated spelling of Kanada (“Canada”)

                              Venetan

                              Etymology

                                Borrowed from English and French Canada, from Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”).

                                Proper noun

                                Canada m

                                1. Canada (a country in North America)

                                Welsh

                                Etymology

                                  Borrowed from English Canada.

                                  Pronunciation

                                  Proper noun

                                  Canada f

                                  1. Canada (a country in North America)

                                  Coordinate terms

                                  Derived terms

                                  Mutation

                                  Mutated forms of Canada
                                  radical soft nasal aspirate
                                  Canada Ganada Nghanada Chanada

                                  Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
                                  All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.