Etymologically
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colonne

Etymology and origin of the French word colonne

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
early 12th century, Oxford Psalter, columne
Borrowed from
Latin columna
Ultimate origin
Latin (columna)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin columna
French colonne

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɔ.lɔn/[1]

Forms

colonne f (plural colonnes)[1] Columne (early 12th century), columpne (about 1170), colonne (early 13th century); colomne in the Académie in 1694 and 1718, colonne from 1740.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin columna (“pillar, column; support”),[3][2][5][4][1][6] probably related to columen (“summit”) and to the verb behind exceller.[3][7] Its form was influenced by Italian colonna.[3][4][8] The Old French inherited form was colombe (11th–15th centuries), which survives in “colombage” “half-timbering”[5][9][1]; Bloch and Wartburg explain it by an effort to keep the Latin “-mn-”.[5][9][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Oxford Psalter (early 12th century) has columne de nue, the pillar of cloud: something tall and vertical.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In architecture a colonne is a cylindrical support (Rois, about 1170) and a free-standing monument (Villehardouin, early 13th century).[2][3] Figuratively, from the 16th century, it is a support or pillar of a cause.[2][3]

By likeness of shape it came to name a vertical strip of text (before 1615), and so a newspaper column (1811), cinq colonnes à la une; a body of troops in long formation (1680), whence la cinquième colonne, a secret enemy within; and the backbone, colonne vertébrale (1797), which replaced colonne épinière.[2][3] Colonnade (1740) and colonnette (1546) are derived from it.[5]

Timeline

  • early 12th century – Columne de nue (Oxford Psalter).[2][3]
  • c. 1170 – A supporting pillar (Rois).[2]
  • early 13th century – A column-shaped monument (Villehardouin).[2][3]
  • before 1615 – A column of text (Pasquier).[2][3]
  • 1680 – A column of troops (Richelet).[2][3]
  • 1797 – Colonne vertébrale.[2][3]
  • 1811 – A newspaper column.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A column or pillar: colonne dorique; a commemorative column: la colonne Vendôme.[8][10]
  2. Colonne vertébrale: the spine, backbone.[2][8]
  3. A vertical strip of text or figures; a column in a newspaper or table.[1][8]
  4. A column of troops or vehicles in single file.[2][8]
  5. A column of smoke, water, air: colonne d'eau.[2][1]

Word family

  • colonnade
  • pseudo-colonne
  • colonnette

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 933a
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Colonne.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/colonne. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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