Etymology Dictionary

KENNEL (1),  a house for dogs, pack of hounds.  (F.,—L.)   Properly 'a place for dogs;' hence, the set of dogs themselves.   M. E. kenel (with one n), Prompt. Parv.; Sir Gawayn and Grene Knight, 1140.—Norm. French kenil*, answering to O. F. chenil, a kennel.   β. The Norman form is proved by the k being still preserved in English, and by the Norman F. kenet, a little dog, occurring in a Norman poem cited in Way's note in Prompt. Parv., p. 271, where the M. E. kenet also occurs.   This kenet is dimin. of a Norman F. ken, answering to Picard kien, O. F. chen (Littré), mod. F. chien, a dog.   So also in O. F. chen-il, the former syllable = the same O. F. chen.   γ. The termination -il is imitated from the Lat. termination -ile, occurring in ou-ile, a house or place for sheep, a sheepfold, from ou-is, a sheep.   Hence chen-il = a place for dogs; Ital. canile, a kennel.   δ. The O. F. chen is from Lat. canem, acc. of canis, a dog, cognate with E. Hound, q.v.   Der. kennel, vb.; kennell'd. Shak. Venus, 913.

KENNEL (2),  a gutter.  (F.,—L.)   In Shak. Tam. Shrew, iv. 3. 98.   A corruption of the M. E. canel or canell, of which M. E. chanell (= mod. E. channel) is a weakened form.—O. F. canel, a channel (Roquefort).—Lat. canalis, a canal; hence, a channel or kennel.   See Channel, of which kennel is a doublet; also Canal.