Etymologically
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mener

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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)