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colonnade

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Etymology and origin of the French word colonnade

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1675 François Blondel, Cours d'architecture More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
Latin columna
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin columen
Latin columna
Italian colonna
French colonne
French colonnade
English colonnade
From the same root
Latin culmen ← columen
Italian colonnello ← columna
Latin columella ← columna
Latin columellus ← columna

Pronunciation

  • /kɔ.lɔ.nad/[1]

Forms

colonnade f (plural colonnades)[1] Earlier colonnate (1675) and colomnade (1694).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French colonne + -ade, under the influence of Italian colonnata (“row of columns”) (17th century), earlier colonnato (16th century).[2][4][5] The first form, colonnate, kept the Italian ending, which was replaced by the French suffix in 1694.[4][6] The base noun (also colomne in the 16th and 17th centuries) comes from Latin columna.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

François Blondel's Cours d'architecture (1675) has colonnate for a row of columns.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The form colomnade is found in Thomas Corneille in 1694, and colonnade in the Académie's dictionary of 1740.[2][5] By analogy the word was applied from 1830 (Lamartine) to rows of tree trunks and other upright things.[5][2] English colonnade was taken from French in 1718.[7]

Timeline

  • 1675 – Colonnate appears in Blondel's Cours d'architecture.[2][5]
  • 1694 – Thomas Corneille writes colomnade.[2][5]
  • 1718 – English borrows the word.[7]
  • 1740 – The Académie records colonnade.[2][3]
  • 1830 – Lamartine uses it of a row of pine trunks.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A colonnade: a row of columns, single or double, decorating a building or forming an architectural whole: La colonnade entoure la place.[8][2][9]
  2. (literary) A row of tall upright things, such as tree trunks.[5][2]
  3. (geology) A group of column-shaped formations, as in basalt.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Colonnade.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/colonnade. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·