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Origin and history of tunnel

tunnel(n.)

early 15c., tonnel, tonel, "funnel-shaped wire net into which birds were decoyed," from Old French tonel, tonnelle "net," diminutive of Old French tonne "tun, cask for liquids," which is perhaps from the same source as Old English tunne (see tun).

The meaning "tube, pipe" (1540s) developed in English and led to the sense of "underground passage, passage or (later) railway road under the bed of a stream, through a mountain, etc." (1660s). This sense subsequently has been borrowed into French (1878). The earlier native word for this was mine (n.).

The meaning "burrow of an animal," especially when long and tortuous, is from 1873. Tunnel vision is attested from 1912. The amusement park tunnel of love is attested from 1911 (in reference to New York's Luna Park).

The "Tunnel of Love," an attraction found at many amusement parks, has been responsible for a surprising number of proposals. In this and similar devices, couples are allowed to drift through dark or semi-dark underground caverns, usually in a boat or gondola borne on an artificial stream of water. ... Their dim interiors often give a bashful young man the opportunity to propose. [The American Magazine, July 1922]

tunnel(v.)

1795, intransitive, "excavate underground, cut or drive a tunnel or tunnels," from tunnel (n.). The transitive meaning "form, cut, or dig a tunnel through" is by 1856. Earlier (1570s) as "furnish with a tunnel." Related: Tunneled; tunneling.

also from 1795

Entries linking to tunnel

mine(pron.)

Old English min "mine, my," (pronoun and adjective), from Proto-Germanic *minaz (source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon Old High German min, Middle Dutch, Dutch mijn, German mein, Old Norse minn, Gothic meins "my, mine"), from the base of me.

As an adjective, "belonging to me," preceding its noun (which may be omitted), it was superseded from 13c. by my when the noun is expressed. As a noun, "my people, my family," from Old English. In this heart of mine, no fault of mine, etc., the form is a double genitive.

tun(n.)

"large cask," especially one for wine, ale, or beer, Middle English tonne, tunne, from Old English tunne "tun, cask, barrel," a general North Sea Germanic word (compare Old Frisian tunne, Middle Dutch tonne, also Old High German tunna, German tonne). It is also found in Medieval Latin tunna (9c.) and Old French tonne (diminutive tonneau) and perhaps Celtic (compare Middle Irish, Gaelic tunna, Old Irish toun "hide, skin") but all are of uncertain relationship.

As a unit of weight and measure from late 14c., spelled ton and now a separate word (see ton (n.1)).

Chunnel(n.)

1928, a blend of (English) Channel + tunnel (n.).

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    tube
    Browne, in the "Londoner" of June 30); tube for "cylindrical railway tunnel" is attested from 1847....
    orb
    Orb-weaver in reference to spiders that make webs formed of lines radiating from a central point (as distinguished from tube- or tunnel-weavers...
    delve
    Middle English delven, from Old English delfan "to dig, turn up with a spade or other tool, excavate" (class III strong verb; past tense dealf, past participle dolfen), common West Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon delban, Dutch delven, Middle High German telben "to dig"). This is pe
    warren
    late 14c., "piece of land enclosed for breeding beasts and fowls," from Anglo-French and Old North French warenne (Old French garenne) "game park, hunting reserve," possibly from Gaulish *varenna "enclosed area," related to *varros "post." More likely from the present participle
    shaft
    "long, slender rod," originally "staff or pole forming the body of a spear or lance; spear-shaft," also, perhaps by synecdoche, "spear;" Middle English shafte, from Old English sceaft from Proto-Germanic *skaftaz (source also of Old Norse skapt, Old Saxon skaft, Old High German s
    perforate
    "bore through, pierce, make a hole or holes in," late 15c. (implied in perforated), a back-formation from perforation or else from Latin perforatus, past participle of perforare "to bore through, pierce through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "throu
    dig
    c. 1200, diggen, "to make a ditch or other excavation," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps related to dike and ditch, either via Anglo-French diguer, from Old French digue "dike" (which is ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dīk-, from PIE root *dheigw- "to stick, fix") or directly
    overturn
    early 13c., of a wheel, "to rotate, roll over," from over- + turn (v.). Attested from c. 1300 in general transitive sense "to throw over violently;" figurative meaning "to ruin, destroy" is from late 14c. Of judicial decisions, "to reverse," it is attested from 1826. Related: Ove
    catacomb
    "underground burial place," usually catacombs, from Old English catacumbas, from Late Latin catacumbae (plural) "sepulchral vaults," originally the region of underground tombs near Rome between the 2nd and 3rd milestones of the Appian Way (where the bodies of apostles Paul and Pe
    hollow
    c. 1200, adjective developed from Old English holh (n.) "hollow place, hole," from Proto-Germanic *hul-, from PIE root *kel- (1) "to cover, conceal, save." The figurative sense of "insincere" is attested from 1520s. Related: Hollowly. Spelling development followed that of fallow,

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