canon

canon · noun¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκανών“measuring rod, standard”
2. Latin · derived fromcanōn
3. Old English · inherited fromcanon
4. Old French · derived fromcanon
5. Middle English · inherited fromcanoun
6. English todaycanon

From Middle English canoun, from Old French canon and Old English canon, both from Latin canōn, from Ancient Greek κανών (kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Semitic (compare Hebrew קָנֶה (qane, “reed”) and Arabic قَنَاة (qanāh, “reed”)). Doublet of qanun. See also cane, cannon, canyon, canal.

canon · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromcanonicus
2. Middle English · inherited fromcanoun
3. English todaycanon

From Middle English canoun, ultimately from Latin canonicus (either by shortening or back-formation from Old English canonic, or via Old Northern French canoine).

canon · noun³

1. Spanish · borrowed fromcañón
2. English todaycanon

From Spanish cañón, spelling it without the diacritics.

Canon · proper noun, noun⁴

* As an English, Scottish, and Irish surname, variant of Cannon. * As a French topographical surname, from placenames derived from canne (“reed, cane, tube”). * As a Chaldean/Chaldean Neo-Aramaic surname, variant of Kanon, Kanoun, from [script needed] (Kānūn), the Classical Syriac name of the ninth and tenth months of the Assyrian calendar, from ܟܢܘܢ ܒ.

Words from the same roots