Cion
/ˈsaɪən/noun
An obsolete or variant spelling of “scion,” meaning a young shoot or a descendant.
Did you know?“Cion” is an older spelling of “scion,” a horticultural term that became a metaphor for a child or heir descended from a family line.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“To cut or split; a proposed ancient root associated with the later history of “scion,” though the connection is not completely certain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
scindere
“To cut, split, or cleave; often proposed as a distant source connected with the idea of a shoot being cut for grafting.”
Old French
Old French
cion
“A young shoot or twig used for propagation or grafting.”
Middle English
Middle English
cion
“A shoot or branch inserted into a plant for grafting; the spelling appears without the later initial “s.””
15th–16th Century
English
scion
“The increasingly standard spelling, retaining the horticultural sense and beginning to develop the figurative sense of a descendant.”
Modern English
English
cion
“An obsolete or rare variant spelling of “scion,” now chiefly encountered in historical or dictionary contexts.”