English
champion
Champion comes from Old French champion, from Medieval Latin campio ‘combatant in a duel’, from Frankish *kampijō ‘fighter’, ultimately from Latin campus ‘field’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcampus‘a plain, field’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kamp‘field, battlefield’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kampijan‘to battle’reconstructedderivative of *kamp
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kampijō‘combat soldier’reconstructedderivative of *kampijan
- Frankishc. 250–700same form‘fighter’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500campio‘combatant in a duel’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400champiun
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500champioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1938champion
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcampus‘a plain, field’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kamp‘field, battlefield’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kampijan‘to battle’reconstructedderivative of *kamp
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kampijō‘combat soldier’reconstructedderivative of *kampijan
- Frankishc. 250–700same form‘fighter’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500campio‘combatant in a duel’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400champiun
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500champioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1938champion
Earliest quotation: 1938, Puritan Cordage Mills, Take a Lesson from a Lily: “Pictured above is an actual photograph of a Regal…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- ‘to bend, to curve’
camera, chamber, chimney, cabaret, camaraderie, kam, gam, camber, skimp, cantonment, jamb, gamba, campanile, chambray, 21 more
through Latin campus ‘a field, a plain, a place of action’
campaign, campus, campo, campania, campagna, 9 more
through Proto-West Germanic *kamp ‘battlefield, battle’
through Proto-West Germanic *kampijō ‘combat soldier’
through Middle English champioun ‘an athlete’
Today it means
noun An ongoing winner in a game or contest.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin campus / champion