Etymology of the English word colonel
the English word
colonelderived from the Old French word
colonelderived from the Old Italian word
colonnelloderived from the Italian word
colonnaderived from the Latin word
columna (column, pillar; stanchion; water-spout)
derived from the Latin word
columen (height, peak, summit)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*kel-Date
The earliest known usage of colonel in English dates from the 16th century.
Derivations in English
colonelcyCognates
French
colonel, Italian
colonello, Spanish
coronelUsage
Word found in Modern English
