Etymologically
Log in

mener

Etymology and origin of the French word mener

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
late 10th century, Passion de Clermont
Inherited from
Latin mino
Ultimate origin
Latin (minor)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French mener
French emmener
French amener
French ramener

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mə.ne/[1]

Forms

mener[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin mināre (“to drive (animals)”), an active form that replaced classical minārī (“to threaten”).[2][3][4][5][1][6] The change of meaning comes from rural and popular speech: one threatened beasts with shouts and the whip to make them move on, whence “to drive animals”.[2][3] This sense survives in Romanian mâna (“to drive cattle”) and Calabrian “minare” “to goad beasts”, and in Old French hunting language, “to pursue a beast” (about 1160).[2][3] The Petit Robert connects “minārī” with minae (“projecting points; threats”).[7]

Cognate with Italian menare, Catalan menar and Occitan amenar.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Passion de Clermont (late 10th century) it means to accompany someone while guiding them; in the Chanson de Roland it means to lead an army and to take someone by force: Bramimonde, qu'il meinet en sa prisun.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 12th century it meant to walk at the head of a group, especially of dancers (mener la danse), and to drive animals (Chrétien de Troyes, about 1170).[2][3] Without any idea of movement it was used for carrying on an activity: grant duel mener “to make great lament” (about 1050), sa guerre mener (about 1100), mener une vie (about 1180), mener grand train (1835).[2][3] From the 13th century it also meant to command, direct, as in mener à la baguette and mener par le bout du nez.[3][8] In sport mener la course (1892) and absolute mener “to be in the lead” (1937) are modern.[2] Since the classical period it has lost ground to emmener and to conduire.[3]

Timeline

  • Late 10th century – “To lead”, Passion de Clermont.[2]
  • c. 1050 – Grant duel mener, Vie de saint Alexis.[2]
  • c. 1100 – To lead an army, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1170 – To drive animals, Chrétien de Troyes.[2]
  • 1663 – “To direct”, Molière.[2]
  • 1835 – Mener grand train.[2]
  • 1937 – Mener “to be in the lead”.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take, bring (someone somewhere): mener les enfants à l'école.[7][1]
  2. To lead, be at the head of: mener la danse, mener le jeu.[7][1]
  3. To drive (animals): mener les bêtes aux champs.[7][2]
  4. To run, manage, conduct: mener une enquête, mener à bien, to carry through.[1][3]
  5. To lead (a life): mener une vie tranquille, mener grand train, to live in style.[3][1]
  6. Of a road, to lead: tous les chemins mènent à Rome.[2][1]
  7. (sport) To lead, be ahead: mener par deux buts à zéro.[9][2]
  8. Set phrases: mener en bateau, to take for a ride, ne pas en mener large, to feel very uneasy.[1][7]

Word family

Usage notes

The children's verb mener-mener “to take for a walk” (1937), used only in the infinitive, is taken from promener.[5][3]

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 j k l m n o p q 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b 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. 6/2, 100a
  7. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Derived terms

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Mener.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/mener. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·