CANACEE2 is the beautiful young daughter of King Cambyuskan and Queen Elpheta in The Squire's Tale. Near the end of the tale, the Squire proposes to tell how her brother Cambalus fought in tournaments "to win" Canacee. The story, however, remains unfinished. Chaucer may have been reminded of Ovid's story in Heroides XI, the story of incest mentioned in MLI 77-78, and may have decided against finishing the tale. [Algarsif: Cambalo: Cambyuskan: Elpheta: Gower]
Chaucer may have borrowed the name from Heroides XI. J.D. North suggests derivation from the name of the star Cauda Ceti, found in Chaucer's time in the zodiacal sign Pisces. The name appears ten times in medial positions, SqT 178, 384, 410, 449, 475, 633, 635, 638, 651, 669; seven times in final rhyming position, MLI 78, SqT 33, 144, 277, 361, 432, 485. Canacees, the ME genitive case, appears medially only, SqT 247, 631.