An old or variant spelling of canella, referring to a type of spice or aromatic bark used in cooking and medicine.
From Latin 'canna' (reed or tube) via Spanish and Portuguese 'canela' (cinnamon). The diminutive suffix '-ell' emphasizes the small, tube-like form of the spice.
Medieval spice trade spelling inconsistencies like 'canell' show that even exotic imports weren't standardized until printing pressed standardized English—before then, every merchant spelled things their own way!
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