1
Stage 1 of 4
columna
Latin · ancient
"a pillar, column"
a plain word for a pillar
2
Stage 2 of 4
colonnella
Italian · medieval
"commander of a column of troops"
named the commander at the head of a regiment's 'little column' of soldiers
3
Stage 3 of 4
coronel
French · 1500s
"a military commander's rank"
borrowed from Italian with a sound change (dissimilation) that altered the first consonant
4
Stage 4 of 4
colonel
English · 1580s
"a senior military officer rank"
the spelling was reformed to match the Italian original, though the French-derived pronunciation persisted
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