corner ston

Middle English

Alternative forms

• corner-ston, cornerstone, corner-stone, corner stoon, kernere-ston, kornerstone

Etymology

Compound of corner +‎ ston; a calque of Latin lapis angularis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔrnər ˌstɔːn/, /kɔrˈneːr ˌstɔːn/

Noun

corner ston (plural corner-stonys)

1. A cornerstone; a keystone.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Petre ·i· 2:6, page 111v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     foꝛ which þing þe ſcripture ſeiþ / lo I ſchal ſette in ſyon þe hiȝeſt coꝛner ſtoo[n] [translating lapidem angularem] choſen ⁊ [pꝛe]ciouſe / ⁊ he þat ſchal bileue in hi[m] ſchal not be confou[n]dide

     Because Scripture says the following: "I'll lay the topmost cornerstone, chosen and precious, in Zion; anyone who believes in him will not be troubled."

2. (figurative) A foundation on which something is built; an innovator.

Descendants

• English: cornerstone, corner-stone, corner stone
• Scots: cornerstane

References

• “corner-stōn, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-08.