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Etymology and origin of the French word mire

mire1 aim, sight

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1325 Watriquet de Couvin, Miroir aux dames
Ultimate origin
Latin mīror
Etymology tree of mire1
inherited borrowed derived
French mirer
French mire
From the same root · mire1
French mirage ← mirer
French miroir ← mirer

Pronunciation

Forms

mire f (plural mires)[1]

Etymology

The word for aim is a deverbal noun from French mirer.[2][3][4][5] The verb is mīror (“to wonder at”), which in the Romance languages came to mean “to look at attentively”.[6][7]

Its uses in gunnery, from the 16th century, are taken by the TLFi from Italian mira (“target, aim”), recorded from the 14th century as “target” and then “aim”, the verbal noun of mirare;[2] the DHLF thinks the Italian word perhaps behind this specialization, and Bloch and Wartburg say that the firearms sense, like that of the verb, came from Italian.[6][7] Wiktionary gives the whole word as borrowed from Italian.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1325 Watriquet de Couvin uses it in the Miroir aux dames in the abstract sense “ideal image, model”.[2][6] The Grand Robert dates the noun to about 1460.[3]

Semantic evolution

From the abstract sense “ideal image, model” it specialized in gunnery: prendre sa mire “to take aim” (1552, Rabelais) and mire “aim, aiming” (1562).[2][6] Cotgrave records it in 1611 for the sight at the end of a gun barrel, and Agrippa d'Aubigné uses it for a mark aimed at.[2][4]

Point de mire “point aimed at” is recorded in 1668 as a technical term, and in a figurative sense, the centre of attention or object of ambition, from 1812;[2][6][7] ligne de mire follows in 1800 and cran de mire in 1890.[2] In surveying it names a fixed signal used to sight a direction (1806),[2] and on television the test card.[8][9] Its diminutive mirette (1903) names a levelling device.[6]

Timeline

  • 1325 – Watriquet de Couvin uses mire “ideal image, model”.[2][6]
  • 1552 – Rabelais writes prendre sa mire “to take aim”.[2][6]
  • 1562 – Du Pinet uses mire for the act of aiming.[2]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records the sight of a firearm.[2]
  • 1668 – Point de mire is recorded.[2][7]
  • 1800 – Ligne de mire appears.[2]
  • 1806 – It is used for a surveyor's signal.[2]
  • 1812 – Boiste records the figurative point de mire.[2][6]
  • 1890 – Cran de mire is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (dated) The act of aiming: prendre sa mire, to take aim.[8][2]
  2. Ligne de mire: the line of sight from the shooter's eye to the target, and cran de mire: the rear sight notch.[8][10]
  3. Point de mire: the point aimed at, the target, and figuratively the centre of attention: ce ministre est devenu le point de mire des journalistes.[8][10][9]
  4. (surveying) A fixed signal or graduated levelling rod sighted to fix a direction or a height: mire parlante.[8][10]
  5. (television) A test card, a fixed image used to check the quality of a picture or transmission.[8][10][9]

Word family

  • mirette

mire2 medieval physician

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1155 Wace, Roman de Brut
Inherited from
Latin medicus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin medicus
Etymology tree of mire2
inherited borrowed derived
Latin medeor
Latin medicus
French mire
English medic
Italian medico
Romanian medic
Spanish médico
From the same root · mire2
Latin meditor ← medeor
Latin remedium ← medeor
Latin mēdica ← medicus
Latin medicīnus ← medicus
English paramedic ← medic

Pronunciation

Forms

mire m (plural mires, feminine miresse)[1] Old French mirie beside mire.[2][6][3]

Etymology

The word for a physician is inherited from Old French mire, inherited from Latin medicus (“physician”).[2][6][3][11] The change of /d/ to /r/ is peculiar and is typical of words under learned influence; beside it Old French had the popular doublets miege and mie.[2][6] Wiktionary calls it a semi-learned borrowing from Latin.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1155 Wace's Roman de Brut has both mirie and mire for a physician;[2][6] the GLLF finds mirie already at the end of the 11th century in the Chanson de Guillaume.[12]

Semantic evolution

The word aged during the 16th century, was archaic in the 17th, and gave way to médecin and, according to Furetière, chirurgien.[6][3] The fabliau of the Vilain mire (the peasant doctor) gave Molière the idea for Le Médecin malgré lui.[3] Today it is used only for historical colour or for comic effect, as by Flaubert and Queneau.[3]

Timeline

  • late 11th century – Mirie appears in the Chanson de Guillaume.[12]
  • c. 1155 – Wace uses mirie and mire in the Roman de Brut.[2][6]
  • 16th century – The word grows old.[6]
  • 17th century – It is archaic, replaced by médecin.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (historical) A physician of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.[2][1][3]

Usage notes

The Grand Robert has a third, obsolete mire (its mire 3, a feminine noun from 1575), a tusk of the wild boar, formed from miré.[3][12] The feminine of the physician noun is miresse.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 r s t u v w x 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 154b
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 604b
  12. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Mire.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/mire. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·