Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “canon” come from?

Canon comes from Old French canon, from Italian cannone (literally "large canna"), from Latin canna, from Ancient Greek κάννα, a word for reed or tube.

canon (English): A generally accepted principle; a rule; A group...

Definitions

  1. A generally accepted principle; a rule; A group...

Ancestry of “canon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcanoun—
2Old Frenchcanontube; cannon
3Italiancannonecannon; ace; large tube or pipe
4Italiancannacane; barrel; rod
5LatincannaA reed, cane; Anything made of reed or cane;...
6Ancient Greekκάνναgiant reed; reed mat
7Akkadian𒄀reed; a certain unit of length
8Sumerian𒄀reed; a certain unit of length

Words derived from “canon”

  • canonical
  • canonically
  • noncanonical
  • canonry
  • canonist
  • uncanonical
  • microcanonical
  • canoness
  • extracanonical
  • deuterocanonical
  • canonistic
  • canonicalization
  • uncanonically
  • microcanonically
  • canonicality
  • precanonical
  • multicanonical
  • protocanonical
  • anticanonical
  • canonship
  • canonicalize
  • paracanonical
  • canonicalness
  • semicanonical
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