Champioun

Part of speech: noun, verb, adjective

Definitions

1. One who has triumphed over all rivals in a contest ; a person who stands up for and defends a cause or group ; to back and argue for something one believes in
2. The victor of a sporting event or tournament ; an individual who fights for or promotes a particular cause ; to take up the defense of an idea or people
3. A competitor who comes first in a contest of skill or strength ; a devoted protector or advocate of a principle ; to speak out for and uphold a belief

Etymology: Its ancestor is the Latin "campus," meaning an open field. In Late Latin, a "campio" was a fighter who did battle on that field. Such fighters were often hired to fight judicial duels, in which an accused person could have a paid combatant take up the quarrel in their place. The figure was a hired fighter, not a noble hero. The term passed into Old French as "champion," and English borrowed it from there. The Middle English spelling "champioun" keeps the French ending visible. Over time the sense widened from the physical combatant to anyone who defends a cause on another's behalf, and then to the winner of a contest. The field itself survives in another English word. "Camp" comes from the same Latin "campus," because soldiers pitched their tents on open ground.