donjon

English

Etymology

A variant of dungeon remodelled on its etymon, Old French donjon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɒnd͡ʒən/

Noun

donjon (plural donjons)

1. The fortified tower of a motte or early castle; a keep.
   • 2007, Michael Chabon, Gentlemen of the Road, Sceptre, published 2008, page 132:

     [...] the prison fortress called Qomr, a mound of yellowish brick rising up from the left back of the turbid river, in whose donjon by long tradition the warlord was obliged to lay his head.

   • 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:

     It was a fortress of no great size, consisting of a donjon, or large and high square tower, surrounded by buildings of inferior height, which were encircled by an inner court-yard.

Related terms

• dungeon

Translations

fortified tower — see keep

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French donjon, from Old French donjon, from Vulgar Latin dungiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔnˈʒɔn/, [dɔ̃ˈʒɔ̃], [dɔnˈʒɔn]

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: don‧jon
• Rhymes: -ɔn

Noun

donjon m (plural donjons, diminutive donjonnetje n)

1. donjon, keep

Synonyms

• slottoren

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French [Term?], from Old French donjon, dongon (“castle keep”), from Vulgar Latin *dominio, *dominionem (“lord's castle”), from Latin dominius.

Alternate etymology traces this word to Frankish *dungijā (“dunghill, keep”), from Proto-Germanic *dungijǭ (“dunghill, bower”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔ̃.ʒɔ̃/

Noun

donjon m (plural donjons)

1. donjon, keep

Further reading

• “donjon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Noun

donjon

1. Alternative form of dongeoun

Old French

Noun

donjon oblique singular, m (oblique plural donjons, nominative singular donjons, nominative plural donjon)

1. Alternative form of dungun
   • 12^th Century, Béroul, Tristan et Iseut:

     Li chiens gardoit par le donjon.

     The dog was guarding the dungeon.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French donjon.

Noun

donjon n (plural donjoane)

1. donjon

Declension

Declension of donjon

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) donjon	donjonul	(niște) donjoane	donjoanele
genitive/dative	(unui) donjon	donjonului	(unor) donjoane	donjoanelor
vocative	donjonule		donjoanelor