funnel

Funnel comes from Middle English funell or fonel, likely through Old French *founel, from Latin fundibulum or infundibulum, meaning "funnel." That Latin word traces back to infundere, "to pour in," built from in- ("in") and fundere ("to pour").

The word has stayed close to its original job across languages and centuries — naming a tool or shape used for pouring or channeling something inward.

It shares its root fundere ("to pour") with fuse, and relatives like Breton founilh and Welsh ffynel ("air hole, chimney") show the same idea of a narrow channel showing up across Celtic languages too.