GNAT CANOPIES

The word canopy means a kind of "covering" today, but its real origin might "bug" you. we get it from the Old French word conope, through a previous version of canope. This meant "bed-curtain", not unlike our modern definition.  Canope derives from the latin word canopeum, from the earlier Latin word conopeumm, which meant "mosquito curtain". This also makes sense, since in the olden times people would sleep with protective curtains around their beds to keep out those nasty little bloodsuckers. After Greek konopeion, once we delve down to konops, it gets much more interesting. This meant "mosquito" (the "mosquito net" definition was metonymically applied to the curtains later on), and comes from an Egyptian word that sounded like hams and meant "gnat" (the Greeks mistakenly interpreted that to mean "mosquito"). Basically, it was a complete mess. Whatever.