Canon With One N Is Not a Cannon
A canon is an accepted body of works or a rule. A cannon with two n's is a large gun, and the two are constantly confused.
A canon is an accepted body of works, a church rule, or a cathedral clergyman. One n only: a *cannon* with two is a large gun, and the two words are unrelated. Both descend loosely from Greek *kanon*, a measuring rod, but the weapon arrived through Italian *cannone*, a big tube, while the rule came straight from the church. In fandom, *canon* now means what officially counts as part of a story.
- An accepted body of works. *The literary canon.*
- A church rule. *Canon law.*
- A cathedral clergyman. *A canon of the cathedral.*
- A musical form. *A canon for three voices.*
- Canonical — accepted as authoritative. *The canonical version.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | canon | The Western canon. |
| Plural | canons | The canons of taste. |
| Adjective | canonical | A canonical text. |
| Verb | canonise | To canonise a saint. |
| Different word | cannon | A ship's cannon. |
- The play entered the canon within a decade.Literature.
- Canon law governs the procedure.Church.
- That episode is not canon.Fandom.
The senses, kept apart
- Literary canon — the works considered essential
- Canon law — the internal law of a church
- A canon — a member of cathedral clergy
- Musical canon — voices repeating the same melody in turn
- Cannon — the gun, and the only one with two n's
Old English *canon*, from Latin, from Greek *kanon*, a measuring rod or standard. The word for the gun came separately from Italian *cannone*, a large tube.
Canon or cannon?
One n for a rule or accepted body of works. Two n's for the gun.
What does it mean if something is canon?
That it officially counts as part of a story's established facts, as opposed to fan invention.