Obs. Forms: 3 ? cangun, 4 kongon, conjoun, -ioun, -gioun, 5 conion(e, coonyone, counjon, congyn, 5– congeon. [The phonology and final stress in verse show this word to be of French origin. In all probability cangun in the earliest quot. is the same word, and stands for cangiun or canjun (g for j being not infrequent in ME., cf. the form kongon), repr, an ONF. *cangiun, cangeon:—late L. cambio, cambiōnem (cited in Grimm, Deut. Mythol., trans. Stallybrass, 1888, vol. IV., 1754, and thence in Henschell’s Du Cange), a CHANGELING (Ger. wechselbalg a child of an incubus, demon, or hag, substituted for a human child) f. cambīre to change.
The ME. forms have suffered at the hands of bad copyists and editors, who have turned conjon into coujon, conioun (= conjoun) into coinoun, with other blundered spellings. A derivation from cambio fits the sense, for changelings were popularly held to grow up dwarfs or deformed in body (cf. sense 1), and deficient in intellect (sense 2), and to be called one was a grievous insult (senses 3, 4). The difficulties are (1) the apparent rarity of the word in Fr., where the only instance yet cited is one of 1427 in Du Cange. Repeated by Godefroy, under the form changon ‘terme injurieux,’ which is app. the central F. form, standing for changeon, chanjon; (2) the AFr. or early ME. change of can- to con-; this took place before the retraction of the stress from the final syllable, and may have been owing to association with the prefix con-.]
1. A dwarf, or congenitally deformed man.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 33. Beo he cangun oðer crupel … þu most to him halden.
a. 1400. Sat. Blacksmiths, in Rel. Ant., I. 240. The cammede kongons cryen after col! col!
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 90. Coonyone [v.r. conione or dwerhe, dwerwe, Pynson 1499 congeon or dwerfe], sessillus.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 806/6. Hic tantellus, a congyn.
[1617. Minsheu, Ductor, *Congeon, An old English word signifying the same that Dwarfe in our common speech.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), † Congeon, a Dwarf, a Person of low stature (obs.). Hence in Kersey, Bailey, etc., and
1768. Chatterton, Passing of old Bridge, Wks. II. 280. A Congeon Squier bare in his Hande his Helmet.]
2. A half-wit; an imbecile; = CHANGELING 4.
c. 1285. S. Eng. Leg., I. 412/321. ‘Loke’ he seide ‘this olde conjoun [St. John], in his olde liue, hou he pleiȝez with þis ȝongue brid!’
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 206. Sir, our king is bot a conjoun: Tho he seighe swerdes drawe To fle sone he was wel fawe.
1340. Ayenb., 76. Þet byeþ þe small stones of gles ssynynde, and þe conioun [F. musard] his bayþ [= buys them] uor rubys, uor safyrs, oþer uor emeroydes. þet byeþ as iueles to childeren.
3. A derisive or contemptuous term applied to a child.
(Cf. Ger. wechselbalg; Sc. croot, cruit, a puny, pigmy, decrepit child, applied in contempt or anger to any little child.)
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1071. That child was bot of yeres two … The Iustice seyd, Thou gabbest, conioun.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl., x. Slaughter of Innoc. (1843), I. 177. Herod. That vile counjon [the babe Christ], that thus would reave me of my crowne. Ibid., I. 178. Soldier. But for to kill such a congeon Me shames sore by Mahounde. Ibid., I. 179. With this speare I thinke to assaie To kille manye a smalle congion: These congeones in the cloutes I will kill.
4. An offensive term of abuse or dislike.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 1718. Darie, the kyng of alle kynges … Sente gretyng, withouten honour To the yonge robbour Alisaundre! thou conioun [printed coinoun] wode.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 86. And nou cometh a conioun and wolde cacchen of my wittes. Ibid. (1399), Rich. Redeles, III. 46. Thanne cometh ther a congioun with a grey cote, as not of his nolle as he the nest made.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl., ii. Death of Abel (1843), I. 40. Saye, thou caittiffe, thou congeon, Weneste thou to passe one of renowne?
