champion

Forms

champion m (plural champions, feminine championne)^[1] Old French campiun, then champion from the 12th century; feminine championne from 1558.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French champion, inherited from Medieval Latin campiō (“fighter in a judicial duel”) (recorded in 643), which is from Proto-Germanic *kampjo (“fighter in a judicial duel”).^[2][4][3][5] The Germanic word is shown by Old High German chempfo, Middle High German kempfe, Old English cempa and Old Norse kappi “fighter”, and is formed on *kamp (“place of combat”), which Germanic mercenaries took from Latin campus (“field, battlefield”).^[2][3][6] In Latin the word had come to mean the lists of the judicial duel by the 6th century.^[2]

A Frankish origin, which Wiktionary gives, is rejected by the TLFi and Rey because the word appears late in the Frankish area (9th century).^[2][3][1] Italian campione and Spanish campeón are probably from French.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1100 the Chanson de Roland has campiun for a man who fights in the lists to uphold a cause.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The proper sense, a fighter in a judicial duel, lasted until the late 15th century and then became a historical term;^[2] champion du roi (1704) is a calque of the English King's Champion.^[2] By extension the word meant any fighter for a cause (1552), and figuratively (1560) a defender of a person or cause, the sense that survives; the plain sense “fighter” was confined to burlesque style in the 17th century.^[2][3]

The modern sporting sense, the winner of a competition, comes from the language of sport (1855 in Rey, 1877 in the TLFi), probably under the influence of English champion (1840) according to Rey, though the TLFi thinks a borrowing unlikely, since the sense is found in every European language and follows easily from the earlier ones.^[3][2] It now names anyone outstanding in a field, and popular speech uses it as an adjective (c'est champion, 1946).^[3][7]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Campiun in the Chanson de Roland.^[2][3]
• 1130–1160 – The form champïon in the Couronnement de Louis.^[2]
• 1552 – Estienne records it for any fighter for a cause.^[2][3]
• 1558 – The feminine championne appears.^[2][3]
• 1560 – Pasquier uses it for a defender of a cause.^[2][3]
• 1704 – Champion du roi is recorded by Trévoux.^[2]
• 1855 – First sporting use, according to Rey.^[3]
• 1859 – The derivative championnat appears.^[3]
• 1946 – Recorded as a popular adjective.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (historical) A man who fought in the lists for his own cause or another's.^[2][7]
2. A defender of a cause: il s'est fait le champion des pauvres.^[7][8]
3. The winner of a championnat, a champion: champion du monde, champion d'échecs.^[7]
4. (familiar) Someone outstanding at something, an ace.^[7]

Adjective

1. (familiar) Excellent: c'est champion !^[7][3]

Word family

• championnat

Related words

• champ
• camp
• Latin campus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 16, 299b
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert