I’m just curious as to whether or not the root for canon (as in The Canon) and cannon (as in to fire a cannon) are the same. I looked it up in the OED may I’m still not exactly clear as to whether or not they’re the same…
Have a good one.
“Canon” is derived from Greek “kanon”, “rule”, perhaps from “kanna”, “reed”, probably from Assyrian “qinu”, “tube, reed”, from Sumerian “gin”, “reed”.
“Cannon” is derived from Old French “canon”, from Italian “cannone”, “large tube,” augmentive of Latin “canna”, “cane, reed”, from Greek “kanna”, “reed”, from [see above].
So the answer to your question is “Maybe”. It all depends on whether Greek “kanon” is actually etymologically descended from Greek “kanna”.