canon French · revision 17614

+ French has two main words ''canon'': the gun, derived from [[canne]] “tube” and taking its artillery sense from [[it|cannone]], and the rule, borrowed from [[la|canōn]], from [[grc|κανών|tr=kanṓn|t=measuring rod, rule]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|gun}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation, borrowing|attested=1282|origins=la canna}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ka.nɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''canon''' ''m'' (plural canons)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The gun word covers two formations: [[m|fro|cannon]] (1282), derived in French from [[canne]] “tube, reed”, and in the 14th century the artillery term [[bor|it|cannone]], an augmentative of [[m|it|canna|t=tube]], from [[la|canna]].^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005) The Italian word gave the weapon senses, the French derivative the others.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A register of Saint-Omer (1282) has ''cannon de pure soie'', a bobbin of silk.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The basic idea is “large tube”: a pipe of a fountain (1448), the barrel of a syringe (1611), the part of a lock that takes the key (1676) and the hollow of a key (1690).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From 1578 the ''canons'' were the ornamental frills at the bottom of breeches, fashionable in the 17th century and often mocked by Molière.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) The artillery term is recorded in 1338, and Froissart describes the ''canons'' of Ghent;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) ''poudre à canon'' dates from 1548, and ''chair à canon'' is attributed to Napoleon.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873) The barrel of a gun is ''canon'' from 1569.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) From a measure of wine (1596) came the slang “glass of red wine”, and modern slang made it an intensive: ''une fille canon'', ''elle est canon''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1282 – ''Cannon'', a bobbin.^(TLFi)

+ * 1338 – A piece of artillery.^(TLFi)

+ * 1448 – ''Canon de fontaine''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1548 – ''Poudre à canon''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1569 – The barrel of a firearm.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1578 – Ornamental breech frills.^(TLFi)

+ * 1596 – A measure of wine.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1945 – ''Canon à électrons''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|cannon|alt=cannon]], a piece of artillery: ''canon antichar'', ''poudre à canon'', ''chair à canon''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # The [[m|en|barrel]] of a firearm: ''le canon d'un fusil''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A tube, the hollow part of an object: ''canon d'une clé'', ''canon à neige'', a snow gun, ''canon à électrons''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(anatomy)'' The cannon bone of a horse; the part of a bit that rests on the bars.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(history)'' An ornamental frill at the bottom of breeches.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(slang)'' A glass of red wine.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(slang)'' A very attractive person; as an adjective, gorgeous: ''elle est canon''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[canonnage]]

+ * [[canonnerie]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|rule}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1259|origins=grc κανών}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ka.nɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''canon''' ''m'' (plural canons)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The rule is [[bor|la|canōn|t=model, rule]], from [[grc|κανών|tr=kanṓn|t=measuring rod, rule]], with the senses developed in Church Latin.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary ascribes the slang sense “attractive person” to an ellipsis of “canon de beauté” in this word;^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse) Rey and Larousse place it with the gun.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Robert dictionaries date it to 1259, a theological term for a rule of the Church.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century it also named the part of the Mass containing the words of consecration, and in the 17th century the list of books accepted as inspired.^(Petit Robert 2007) ''Droit canon'', Church law, uses it as an adjective.^(Petit Robert 2007) In the fine arts it means a set of rules fixing ideal proportions, whence ''canon de beauté''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1259 – A rule of the Church.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 13th century – The canon of the Mass.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 17th century – The canon of Scripture.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(theology)'' A rule or decree of the Church, ''droit canon'', [[m|en|canon law]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ # The list of books accepted as divinely inspired: ''le canon de l'Ancien Testament''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Canon de la messe'': the central part of the Mass.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(formal)'' A norm, a rule; in art, the ideal proportions of the human body, ''canon de beauté''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(music)'' A [[m|en|canon|alt=canon]].^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[canonique]]

+ * [[canoniser]]

+ * [[canoniste]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[canne]]

+ * [[canal]]

+ * [[grc|κανών|tr=kanṓn]]

+ * [[en|cannon]]

+ * [[en|canon]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The geographical ''canon'' or ''cañon'', a canyon, is a different borrowing, from the Mexican Spanish [[m|es|cañón]] at the end of the 19th century, first used of the Colorado.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}