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métier

Etymology and origin of the French word métier

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
881, Cantilène de sainte Eulalie (menestier)
Inherited from
Latin *misterium via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (minister)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /me.tje/[1]

Forms

métier m (plural métiers)[1] Menestier (881), mistier (about 980), mestier (about 1050); the Académie wrote mestier in 1694 and 1718, métier from 1740.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French mestier, inherited from Vulgar Latin *misterium, from Latin ministerium (“office of a servant, service, function”), from minister (“servant”).[3][2][5][6][1] The shorter Vulgar Latin form is explained either as a contraction of the Latin word or, as the TLFi and Rey prefer, by crossing with mystērium (“mystery; rite, Mass”), since in Christian Latin their meanings were close: the priest is the servant of God who renews the mystery of Christ.[3][2][5][4] It is thus the popular doublet of the learned ministère.[2][1]

Cognate with Italian mestiere, Old Occitan mestier, Spanish menester and Portuguese mister.[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Cantilène de sainte Eulalie (881) has lo Deo menestier “the service of God”, of the young martyr who would not be turned from it.[3][7]

Semantic evolution

From about 1050 it was a function, a service of any kind, Marie de France (about 1170) has femme de mestier for a prostitute.[3][2] In the 12th century it became the exercise of a profession, first the profession of arms (about 1165), then paid work (about 1200).[2] Gens de mestier meant the learned (1180) before meaning craftsmen and workmen in the 15th and 16th centuries, les mestiers were the guilds (1316).[2][3] From the Medieval Latin sense “need”, Old French avoir mestier meant “to be of use” (Chanson de Roland) and “to need”, still alive in the classical language.[3][2] The weaving frame, métier à tisser, is recorded about 1200 (Jean Renart).[3]

Timeline

  • 881 – Menestier “service of God”, Eulalie.[3]
  • c. 1050 – “Function, service”, Vie de saint Alexis.[3]
  • c. 1100 – Avoir mestier “to be of use”, Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • c. 1165 – The profession of arms.[2]
  • c. 1200 – A weaving frame, Jean Renart.[3]
  • 1316 – Les mestiers, the guilds.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A trade, craft, profession: apprendre un métier, corps de métier, il n'y a pas de sot métier.[8][1]
  2. A job, occupation: faire son métier, le métier de parent.[8][1]
  3. Skill, experience: avoir du métier.[1][8]
  4. A loom, frame: métier à tisser, métier à broder.[3][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
  4. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  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, 118b
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Métier.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/m%C3%A9tier. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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