cannon

cannon · noun, verb¹

1. Sumerian · derived from𒄀𒈾
2. Akkadian · derived from𒄀“reed”
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromκάννα“reed”
4. Latin · derived fromcanna
5. Italian · derived fromcannone
6. Old French · derived fromcanon
7. Middle English · inherited fromcanon
8. English todaycannon

Attested from around 1400 as Middle English canon, canoun, from Old French canon, from Italian cannone, from Latin canna, from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na) (for more, see cane). Doublet of canyon. This spelling was not fixed until about 1800.

Cannon · proper noun²

* As an Irish surname, Anglicized from Ó Canann (“descendant of Cana”), Ó Canáin (“descendant of Canán”), from cana (“wolf cub”). Comparable to McCann, McConnon, Connon. * As an English surname, from the noun canon. * As a French surname, variant of Canon.

Words from the same roots