Where does “canton” come from?

Canton derives from Middle French canton, from Old French canton, from Old Occitan canton, originally meaning a corner or angle.

canton (English): A division of a political unit; A small community...

Definitions

  1. A division of a political unit; A small community...

Ancestry of “canton”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchcanton—
2Old Frenchcantoncorner
3Old Occitancantoncorner; canton
Every word from Old Occitan canton →Every word from Old French canton →Every word from Middle French canton →