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emmener

Etymology and origin of the French word emmener

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Ultimate origin
Latin (minor)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French mener
French emmener
French amener
French ramener

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.m(ə).ne/[1]

Forms

emmener[1] Old French enmener and enmeiner, Anglo-Norman also wrote enmesner.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French en- + mener (“to lead”), the prefix being the Old French adverb of place “en” “from there, away”.[4][2][5][6] In Old French the adverb could still stand apart from the verb, as in “quant ele en fu menée” (“when she was led away”) in “Berte”.[7]

“Mener” continues Vulgar Latin minō (“to drive animals along by shouting”), from Latin minor (“to threaten”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), meaning to lead someone away from where one is to another place: Ses meillors homes enmeine ensemble od sei (“he takes his best men away with him”).[4][7]

Semantic evolution

The sense of taking people or animals along has stayed central since Old French, Wace has the form enmener in 1155.[4] Michelet uses it in 1831 of a leader carrying his men forward with authority, the source of the military and sporting use (les avants étaient bien emmenés).[4][8] The GLLF dates this sense to Vigny, before 1863.[2] George Sand has a figurative use in 1839 and Maxime Du Camp, in 1853, the sense of being carried away in thought.[4]

Usage now keeps emmener for people and animals and emporter for things.[9][2]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Em meinet in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • 1155 – The form enmener in Wace's Brut.[4]
  • 1831 – Michelet uses it of a leader driving his men forward.[4]
  • 1839 – A figurative use in George Sand's Lélia.[4]
  • 1853 – “To carry away in thought”, in Maxime Du Camp.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take (a person or animal) along when going from one place to another: j'emmène mon chien.[8][9]
  2. To take someone somewhere: emmener des amis au théâtre, je vous emmène dîner.[8]
  3. (military, sport) To lead forward with drive.[8][4]
  4. (of a vehicle) To carry, transport far off: l'avion qui emmène les voyageurs.[8]
  5. (figurative) To carry off in thought or imagination.[2][4]

Word family

  • remmener

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 109a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Emmener.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/emmener. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·