manœuvrer

Forms

manœuvrer^[1] Old French manuvrer (about 1100), manovrer (about 1165), manouvrer;^[2][3][4] manœuvrer about 1283 in Beaumanoir.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French manovrer, inherited from Vulgar Latin *manuoperō, literally “to work with the hand”, from Latin manū, the ablative of manus (“hand”), and operor (“to work”), from opus (“work”).^[5][1][6] Bloch and Wartburg note that the noun manuopera already meant “forced labour” in Charlemagne's capitularies.^[7]

Cognate with Picard ménœuvrer and Spanish maniobrar.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) manuvrer means “to set by hand”, of a relic set into the gilded hilt of a sword: En l'oret punt l'ad faite manuvrer.^[5][4][6]

Semantic evolution

In Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (about 1165) manovrer means “to work”,^[5][6] and Beaumanoir used it of tilling a vineyard.^[4] These early senses died out, replaced by senses that grew in the 17th and 18th centuries with those of the noun manœuvre¹: handling a ship (1678, transitive and intransitive), handling a tool or machine (1690), moving troops (1732), and, figuratively, scheming to reach an end (1752).^[6][5][3] The figurative transitive sense “to manipulate someone” is found in Balzac in 1831.^[5]

The old infinitive manouvrer gave manouvrier (1189).^[6] Through Anglo-Norman meynoverer the verb also gave the English verb manure (about 1400), first “to cultivate land by hand”.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Manuvrer “set by hand” in the Chanson de Roland.^[5][2]
• c. 1165 – Manovrer “to work” in the Roman de Troie.^[5][6]
• c. 1283 – The form manœuvrer in Beaumanoir.^[2][3]
• 1678 – Used of ships and crews, in Guillet.^[5][6]
• 1690 – Furetière records “to handle, make work”.^[3][6]
• 1732 – Richelet records the military sense.^[5][3]
• 1752 – The Trévoux dictionary records the figurative “to scheme”.^[5][3]
• 1831 – Balzac uses it for manipulating people.^[5]
• 1902 – The derivative manœuvrable appears.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) To carry out a manœuvre¹ with a ship or a vehicle: elle manœuvre pour sortir du garage.^[9][3]
2. (intransitive, military) To carry out drill or military manoeuvres.^[9][3][5]
3. (intransitive, figurative) To use clever means to reach one's ends; to scheme.^[9][3][5]
4. (transitive) To handle or operate something so as to make it work or move where one wants: a rope, a rudder, a vehicle, a lever.^[9][5]
5. (transitive, figurative) To make someone act as one wishes; to manipulate.^[9][3][5]

Word family

• manœuvrable
• manœuvrabilité
• manœuvrier
• manouvrier

Related words

• manœuvre¹
• manœuvre²
• main
• œuvre
• Latin manus
• English maneuver
• English manure

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert