cologne

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kəˈləʊn/ (UK); /kəˈloʊn/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is short for Cologne water,^[2][3][4][5] a translation of French eau de Cologne (“water of Cologne”),^[2][3][4][6] from the French name of the German city of Köln, where it was made,^{[2][3][4][7][5]} from Latin Colōnia (“colony”) (Colonia Agrippina).^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

As Cologne water, the scented liquid (1814);^{[2][3][4][7][6]} as simply cologne by 1844.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The perfume was first made in Cologne by the Italian chemist Johann Maria Farina, who settled there in 1709.^[4][5] The city was founded in 38 BC and became a Roman colony in AD 50 at the request of Agrippina the Younger, who was born there.^[4] English generally used the city's French name in the 18th century.^[4] In modern use cologne is often a fragrance worn by men.^[1]

Timeline

• 1709 – Farina begins making the perfume in Cologne.^[4][5]
• 1814 – Cologne water.^[2][3][4][7]
• 1844 – cologne.^[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A lightly scented liquid of alcohol and fragrant oils; eau de Cologne or toilet water.
2. A fragrance worn especially by men.

Word family

• cologned

Related words

• eau de Cologne
• colony
• perfume

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster