different between fortress vs donjon

English

Etymology

Early 14 c., from Old French forteresce, forteresse, forterece (“strong place, fortification”) [from 12th c.], variant of fortelesse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis (“strong”) (see fort) +? -itia, added to adjectives to form nouns of quality or condition. French -ess, from Latin -itia is also in words such as duress, largesse and riches. For change of medial -l- to -r- in Old French, compare orne (“elm”) from ulmus; chartre from cartula and chapitre from capitulum.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??.t??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??.t??s/
• Hyphenation: fort?ress

Noun

fortress (plural fortresses)

1. A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; for example a fort, a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
2. (chess) A position that, if obtained by the weaker side, will prevent penetration by the opposing side, generally achieving a draw.

Synonyms

• bastion, stronghold, bulwark

Translations

See also

• fortalice, fortilice

Verb

fortress (third-person singular simple present fortresses, present participle fortressing, simple past and past participle fortressed)

1. (transitive) To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard, to fortify.

English

Etymology

From Old French donjon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?nd??n/

Noun

donjon (plural donjons)

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

Translations

Related terms

• dungeon

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French donjon, from Old French donjon, from Latin dungi?, from Frankish *dungij?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?n???n/, [d??????], [d?n???n]
• Hyphenation: don?jon
• Rhymes: -?n

Noun

donjon m (plural donjons, diminutive donjonnetje n)

1. donjon, keep

Synonyms

• slottoren

French

Etymology

From Middle French [Term?], from Old French donjon, dongon (“castle keep”), from Frankish *dungjo, *dunjon- (“dungeon, bower, underground cellar”), from Proto-Germanic *dungij?, *dung? (“enclosed space, vault, bower, treasury”).

Alternate etymology traces Old French donjon to Vulgar Latin *dominio, *dominionem (“lord's castle”), from Latin dominius, and possibly influenced by the above Germanic term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??.???/

Noun

donjon m (plural donjons)

1. donjon, keep

Further reading

• “donjon” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Noun

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

1. Alternative form of donjun

Romanian

Etymology

From French donjon

Noun

donjon n (plural donjoane)

1. donjon

Declension