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Etymology and origin of the French word main

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont
Inherited from
Latin manus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (manus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin manus
English manumission
French main
Latin mando
Latin commendo

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mɛ̃/[1]

Forms

main f (plural mains)[1] Old French man (about 980), main and mein.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French man, inherited from Latin manus (“hand; force, power; handwriting; band of men”).[4][2][5][6] Besides the hand itself, Latin “manus” stood for force and authority (of the husband, of the head of the household), for work and combat, for handwriting and for a body of troops.[2][3] Rey relates this Italic word to an Indo-European root also seen in Old Norse mund (“hand”), Old English mund and Old High German munt (“hand; protection”), Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Italic *manus and, more doubtfully, to a root Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon”).[2][1]

Cognate with Romanian mână, Italian mano, Occitan man, Catalan mà, Spanish mano and Portuguese mão.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century): Pilaz sas mans dunques laved “Pilate then washed his hands”; in the same text the laying on of hands on the sick appears.[4]

Semantic evolution

The many early extensions reflect the importance of the hand in human activity.[2] It meant a side of the body (main a main “side by side”, about 1170), a sense now alive only in à main gauche, à main droite; a measure (about 1375); and the person who does the work (1377), whence petite main “apprentice seamstress” (1910).[4][2]

As a symbol of authority it appears in avoir en main (1155), main de justice (1385) and haut la main (1670), earlier haut à la main (1657), first meaning “high-handedly”; as a symbol of possession in prendre en main (about 1160) and entre les mains de (1306).[4][2] Work gave mettre ses mains à (1176), de main de maître (1539) and the sense “handwriting” (1523); fighting gave main à main (about 1208), à main armée (1466), venir aux mains (1559), faire main basse (1611) and homme de main (1640).[4] Gestures gave mains jointes in prayer and submission (about 1100) and donner la main “to marry” (1629, Corneille).[4]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – Man in the Passion de Clermont.[4]
  • c. 1050 – The form main in the Vie de saint Alexis.[3]
  • 1155 – Avoir en main “to command”, in Wace.[4]
  • c. 1225–1230 – A main senestre “on the left”, in Guillaume de Lorris.[4]
  • 1385 – Main de justice.[4][2]
  • 1523 – “Handwriting”.[4]
  • 1611 – Faire main basse in Cotgrave.[4]
  • 1670 – Haut la main in Molière.[4]
  • 1910 – Petite main “apprentice seamstress”.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The hand: la main droite, serrer la main de quelqu'un.[9][10]
  2. The hand as an instrument of work or skill: travailler de ses mains, de main de maître.[10][4]
  3. Authority, control: avoir la haute main sur, prendre en main.[4][2]
  4. A side, direction: à main droite, on the right.[2]
  5. Handwriting.[4][11]
  6. (card games) A hand; the deal.[1]
  7. A quire of paper.[1]
  8. (football) Handball.[1]
  9. Petite main: an apprentice seamstress.[4][2]

Word family

  • baisemain
  • mainlevée
  • mainmorte
  • tournemain
  • manette
  • manier
  • manière
  • menotte
  • arrière-main
  • avant-main
  • main-forte
  • sous-main

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 285a
  7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Main.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/main. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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