Where does “canonical” come from?
Canonical derives from English canon combined with English -ic, from Italian cannone with Italian -one, ultimately from Ancient Greek κάννα, a reed or tube that gave rise to the sense of a standard or rule.
canonical (English): Present in a canon, religious or otherwise;...
Definitions
- Present in a canon, religious or otherwise;...
Ancestry of “canonical”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | canon | A generally accepted principle; a rule; A group... |
| 2 | Middle English | canoun | — |
| 3 | Old French | canon | tube; cannon |
| 4 | Italian | cannone | cannon; ace; large tube or pipe |
| 5 | Italian | canna | cane; barrel; rod |
| 6 | Latin | canna | A reed, cane; Anything made of reed or cane;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | κάννα | giant reed; reed mat |
| 8 | Akkadian | 𒄀 | reed; a certain unit of length |
| 9 | Sumerian | 𒄀 | reed; a certain unit of length |
Words derived from “canonical”