Gonne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical type of firearm from the late Middle Ages to early Renaissance, typically a hand-held tube designed to launch projectiles using gunpowder; an early form of a portable cannon or hand cannon; a precursor to modern small arms equipped with primitive ignition mechanisms
2. A small cannon or hand-held gun used in medieval warfare that relies on gunpowder to propel metal or stone balls; an invention marking the transition from traditional ranged weapons to firearms; commonly mounted or carried by foot soldiers or cavalry
3. A rudimentary firearm dating back to the 14th-15th centuries consisting of a metal tube attached to a stock or held in hand to discharge projectiles through explosive force; often recognized as an ancestor to the musket and rifle; introduced as a novel weapon in European battlefields during the late medieval period

Etymology: The popular story that "gonne" comes from Gunhild, a Scandinavian woman's name supposedly used as a nickname for early cannons, is a folk tale without evidence. The word's origin is uncertain. It appears in Middle English and is probably related to Scandinavian or continental forms, but no source has been confirmed. In its earliest English records, "gonne" usually meant a large engine of war, not a weapon held in the hand. The handheld type was distinguished by compounds such as "handgonne," which show that the older, larger sense came first and the smaller weapon was named by modification. Later, "gun" replaced "gonne" as the standard spelling, and the word broadened to cover every firearm, from the hand-held musket to the artillery piece.

Synonyms: gun, cannon