colonel

== English == === Alternative forms === coronel (obsolete) col., Col. (abbreviation) === Etymology === First attested in the 1540s, from Middle French coronnel, from Old Italian colonnello (“the officer of a small company of soldiers (column) that marched at the head of a regiment”), from compagnia colonnella (“little column company”), from Latin columna (“pillar”), originally a collateral form of columen, contraction culmen (“a pillar, top, crown, summit”), o-grade form from a Proto-Indo-European *kelH- (“to rise, be elevated, be prominent”). See hill, holm. The French spelling was reformed late 16th century. The English spelling was modified in 1580s in learned writing to conform to the Italian form (via translations of Italian military manuals), and differing pronunciations (either with "r" or "l") coexisted until around 1650, where it came to be pronounced with "r" only. Spanish and Portuguese coronel, also from Italian, shows similar evolution by dissimilation and perhaps by influence of corona. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɜː.nl̩/, [ˈkɜː.nl̩] (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkɝ.nl̩/, [ˈkɝ.nl̩] Homophone: kernel (most accents) Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl The anomalous pronunciation is a holdover of the pronunciation of the earlier, now obsolete form coronel, which was used simultaneously for a while. === Noun === colonel (plural colonels) A commissioned officer in an armed military organization, typically the highest rank before flag officer ranks (generals). It is generally found in armies, air forces or naval infantry (marines). (historical) A military leader, distinct from the modern professional military rank. An honorary civilian title bestowed by some southern US states, most commonly Kentucky; notably Colonel Sanders of KFC. (Southern US, dated) An informal title used to address an elderly man. (US) A form of address for an auctioneer, from the American Civil War practice of commanding officers organizing the public sale of seized goods. ==== Usage notes ==== When used as a title, it is always capitalized. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== colonelcy colonel-general royal colonel ==== Translations ==== === Verb === colonel (third-person singular simple present colonels, present participle (US) coloneling or (UK) colonelling, simple past and past participle (US) coloneled or (UK) colonelled) (intransitive) To act as or like a colonel. === References === == French == === Alternative forms === colonnel, coronel, coronnel (obsolete) === Etymology === From Italian colonnello. Compare Middle French coronel, borrowed earlier from the same source. See English colonel for more. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kɔ.lɔ.nɛl/ === Noun === colonel m (plural colonels, feminine colonelle) a colonel, highest commissioned officer below generals an ice cream dessert consisting of lemon sherbet and vodka ==== Related terms ==== colonel-général colonel-major lieutenant-colonel === Further reading === “colonel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Romanian == === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from French colonel, from Middle French coronel, which see. ==== Noun ==== colonel m (plural colonei, feminine equivalent coloneleasă or colonelă) colonel (military officer above lieutenant-colonel and below all generals) ===== Declension ===== === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from German Kolonel. ==== Noun ==== colonel n (uncountable) glyph (a letter in a type of font) ===== Declension =====