cro-magnon
UK[krəʊ ˈmaɡnən]US[kroʊ ˈmæɡnən]
n
A type of early modern human (Homo sapiens) that lived in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic period, known from skeletal remains found in southwestern France.
n
(often lowercase) An individual belonging to this prehistoric human group.
Etymology
The term 'Cro-Magnon' is a direct borrowing from French, which itself is derived from the Occitan language of the Dordogne region in France. 'Cro' comes from Occitan cròs or cros, meaning "hollow" or "cave," while 'Magnon' is believed to be the surname of the landowner on whose property the rock shelter was located. Thus, the name literally translates to "Magnon's hollow" or "Magnon's cave." In scientific terminology, it was adopted not for its linguistic components but purely as a geographical label for the archaeological site. Over time, it evolved from a proper noun for a specific location into a common noun used globally to designate the early European representatives of anatomically modern humans.
Analysis
This is a toponym, a word derived from a place name. It does not consist of productive morphemes that can be segmented based on the English spelling for meaningful analysis. The name originates from the Abri de Cro-Magnon (rock shelter of Cro-Magnon) in Les Eyzies, France, where the first skeletons were discovered in 1868.
Examples
The Cro-Magnon people were skilled hunters and created sophisticated cave art.
Anatomically, Cro-Magnon skeletons are virtually indistinguishable from modern humans.
The discovery at the Cro-Magnon rock shelter provided crucial evidence for the antiquity of modern humans in Europe.