Champion
/ˈtʃæm.pi.ən/noun
A person who wins a contest or a person who actively supports or defends someone or something.
Did you know?In medieval Latin and Old French, a champion was literally a hired combatant who could settle disputes by ordeal or duel, turning a word for “fighter” into a symbol of proof and power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kamp-
“to bend, curve”
Late Latin
Latin
campio
“a combatant or fighter, especially in judicial combat”
Old French
Old French
champiun
“a fighter; one who fights for another or in an ordeal”
Middle English
English
champioun
“a fighter or defender”
Modern English
English
champion
“a winner in a contest; a defender or supporter”