From Latin 'columna' (pillar) — whose Italian derivative 'colonnello' gave English the rank 'colonel.'
A vertical pillar, typically cylindrical, used as a structural support in a building or as a freestanding monument; also a vertical division of a printed page, or a regular feature in a newspaper.
From Latin 'columna' (column, pillar), possibly related to 'columen' (summit, peak, pillar) and ultimately to PIE *kel- (to project, to be prominent). The Latin word denoted a vertical supporting pillar and was used both literally (architectural columns) and figuratively ('columnae reipublicae,' pillars of the state). The silent 'n' in the English spelling reflects the Latin original, which was
The word 'colonel' comes from the same Latin root as 'column': Italian 'colonnello' originally meant 'the leader of a column (of soldiers).' The bizarre English pronunciation /ˈkɜːnəl/ resulted from competition between the Italian 'colonnello' spelling and the French 'coronel' pronunciation — English kept the Italian spelling but adopted the French sound.