Definition of corn

The origin of the word "corn" is a topic of much debate among linguists and historians. One theory is that the word "corn" comes from the Cornish language, which was spoken in Cornwall, a region in the southwest of England. In Cornish, the word "keren" or "kern" referred to the grain, which was a dominant crop in the region. The Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century brought French to the British Isles, and the French word "blé" (meaning "wheat") came to refer to the grain. Meanwhile, the word "corn" persisted as a regional term in England, eventually becoming the standard term for all grains. Over time, the word "corn" became associated with a specific type of grain, specifically the cereal that is now commonly known as maize, which was introduced to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century.