Forms: α. 6 coronelle, corronel, 6–7 coronel(l, 7 -all, corronell; β. 6–7 colonell, 6–8 collonell, (7 colenel), 7–8 collonel, 6– colonel. [In 16th c. coronel, a. F. coronnel (also coronel, couronnel, and later colonnel), ad. It. colonnello, colonello chief commander of a regiment, f. colonna COLUMN: cf. colonnello, colon(n)ella ‘a little columne or piller’ in Florio; also la compagnia colonnella, Fr. la compagnie colonelle, or simply la colonelle, the first company of a regiment of infantry. ‘The colonel was so called, because leading the little column or company at the head of the regiment’ (Skeat). The early Fr. coronel (whence also Sp. coronel) was due to the dissimilation of l–l, common in Romanic, though popular etymology associated it with corona, couronne crown. It is still dialectal (see Littré), but was supplanted in literary use, late in 16th c., by the more etymological colonnel; and under this influence and that of translations of Italian military treatises colonel also appeared in Eng. c. 1580. The two forms were used indifferently by Barret, Holland, Decker, and others; coronel was the prevailing form till 1630, but disappeared in writing, c. 1650. Of 89 quots. examined before this date, 56 have coronel, 33 colonel, thus distributed: up to 1590 coronel 21, colonel 1; 1591–1630 cor- 31, col- 22; 1631–50 cor- 4, col- 10; 1651– cor- 0. In 17th c. colonell was trisyllabic, and was often accented (in verse) on the last syllable. But by 1669 it began to be reduced in pronunciation to two syllables, col’nel (according to Jones Pract. Phonography, 1701, kv·lněl), as recorded by Dr. Johnson 1755–73, and repeated without remark by Todd 1818; in Farquhar’s Sir Harry Wildair (1701), it appears familiarly abbreviated to coll. But app. the earlier coronel had never died out of popular use. Cf. the following examples:
1548. T. Fisher, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. IV. III. 296. Certen of the worthiest Almaynes at the desire of their coronell … reentred the same.
1583. T. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., I. 82 b. 16 ensignes of Almaynes, whose Colonel was the Count of Guerstein.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, 250. Colonell or Coronell, a French word, is the commander of a regiment of certaine companies of souldiers, called with the Spaniards Maestre del Campo.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 111. The Colenels, Captains, and other martial men.
1624. Fletcher, Rule a Wife, II. ii. Prithee Coronel, How do thy companies fill now?
1632. Chapman & Shirley, Ball, I. Enter the Coronell.
1647. R. Stapylton, Juvenal, 283. The great court favorite, Paris, sells The major’s place and colonel’s.
1656. Cowley, Davideis, IV. 549. ’Till Uz and Jathan their stout Colonels [ed. 1710 col’nels] fell.
1691. [De Foe], New Disc. Old Intreague, xv. 4. For equal Falshood, equal Fate befell, This dub’d a Knight, and that a Collonel.
1701. Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, I. i. 4. Ay, the Coll. has made his Fortune with a witness. Ibid., II. ii. 15. I’m a pretty Gentleman. Coll., where ’s your wife?
1713. Swift, Cadenus & V. Many a shaft, Pointed at col’nels, lords, and beaux.
1816. C. James, Mil. Dict. (ed. 4), 116. Both the English and Scotch, but particularly the latter, pronounce the word Coronel, and so do the Irish.
1816. ‘Quiz,’ Grand Master, VII. 177. If a tyrannic low-bred Colonel Would be a martinet infernal.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, III. 14. Our cawnel.]
1. The superior officer of a regiment, whether of infantry or cavalry. He ranks above the Lieutenant Colonel, on whom, in the British army (except in the Artillery and Engineers), the command of the regiment generally devolves, and below the general officer, who is attached to no one regiment. The title is often honorary, and conferred upon distinguished officers or princes of royal blood.
1548–83. [see above].
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, IV. i. 116. In the time of … Henrie the eight … those were intituled Colonels, or as some will, Coronels, which the Spaniardes do call Maesters de Campo.
1608. Capt. Smith (title), A true relation of such occurrences … as hath hapned in Virginia … written by Captain Smith, Coronell of the said Collony.
1632. Massinger, Maid of Honour, III. i. Desert may make a serjeant to a colonel.
1745. Observ. conc. Navy, 44. Colonels of Regiments of Foot had an annual Income never less than twelve hundred Pounds.
1814. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., XII. 46. The regiment to be commanded by a Colonel and each of the Battalions by a Lieutenant Colonel or Major.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, III. 77. Colonel Smith applied for a reinforcement.
1881. J. Grant, Cameronians, I. i. 5. Sir Piers … had been appointed … full colonel of the old regiment.
b. Used to render various ancient military titles, as χιλίαρχος, tribunus, magister equitum, etc.
1555. Fardle Facions, II. x. 211. The grande Coronelle that had charge ouer ten thousande.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., I. x. (1622), 19. C. Cetronius, Colonel of the first legion.
1600. Holland, Livy, IV. xviii. 151. The Coronell of the Cavallerie [magister equitum], with his cornets of horse.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 126. Next day he sent for the Coronels and Captaines of the Armie.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Acts xxiv. 22. When I have spoke with Colonel Lysias of the tumults, I will judge the Cause.
2. Angling. A kind of artificial salmon-fly.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, x. (1880), 342. There are two uniforms which the colonel rejoices in.
3. attrib. and in Comb., as colonel-commandant: † colonel-ensign, the colors of a colonel or his regiment, also the bearer of these colors; colonel-general, an officer placed at the head of all the troops of one army.
1577–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 255. A gentleman which bare the said monsieur de la Chapelle his *coronell ensigne.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, II. V. 228. Lieutenants, Ensigns, Colonel-Ensigns [1587 Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1993/2 Piero Strozzi, coronelle of three ensigns of Italians].
1595. Maynarde, Drake’s Voy. (Hakluyt Soc.), 6. Sir Thomas Baskerville, our *coronell-generall was of theyr counsayle.
1628. R. Markham (title), Description of … Sir John Burgh, Colonell Generall of his Majesties Armie.
1701. Lond. Gaz., No. 3700/3. Colonel-General of the Swiss.
1827. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, II. 204. The colonel-commandant of the French.
1884. Busch, in Harper’s Mag., May, 855/2. He … was … made colonel-general, with the rank of field-marshal.
