manier

Forms

manier f (plural manieren, diminutive maniertje n)^[1] Middle Dutch also wrote meniere and mainiere.^[2] A dialect form benier is found from the 17th century.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch maniere, borrowed from Old French maniere (“way of acting”) (modern French manière, from about 1119).^[4][1][5] The French noun is the feminine of the Old French adjective manier (“handled by hand, handy, skilful”) used as a noun, which goes back to Latin manuārius (“held or worked by hand, handy”), a derivative of manus (“hand”) (see manuaal).^[4][6][7] NEW reconstructs a Gallo-Romance *manuaria in between.^[6] The same French word gave Middle High German maniere (modern German Manier) and English manner.^[2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Maniere is first recorded in 1236 in a rule from Ghent, in de maniere van den levene, “the way of life”.^[4][5] The sense “behaviour” follows in 1287 in gheuougher manieren, “of seemly conduct”.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the word widely: a way of acting or being, a kind or sort, a custom, a nature or condition, an outward appearance.^[6][2] In manieren dat meant “so that” or “on condition that” (1292).^[5][2] Maniere alone could mean a good, fitting way of acting, and het gevet maniere was “it is proper”.^[2]

In the 18th century the word was used of an artist's style (1785), and like French manière also of affectation in style.^[3] The plural manieren came to mean good manners, and Middle Dutch already had enen manieren leeren, “to teach someone manners”, which Stoett compares with iemand mores leren.^[3][9] Dat is geen manier van doen is an indignant reaction to rude behaviour.^[10]

Dutch lent the word to Negerhollands (manier, mani), Berbice Dutch and Sranan Tongo (Sranan Tongo maniri “way”), and to Manado Malay as manir “behaviour”.^[11][1]

Timeline

• 1236 – Maniere “way (of life)”, in Ghent.^[4][5]
• 1260–1280 – Maniere “way, manner”.^[12]
• 1287 – “Behaviour, conduct”.^[4][5]
• 1292 – In manieren dat “so that”.^[5]
• 1785 – An artist's style.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. way, manner, the way in which something is done: op een andere manier.^[10][13][1]
2. (in the plural) Manners, good behaviour: hij heeft geen manieren.^[1][3]
3. (art) Style, manner of an artist.^[3]

Word family

• manieren
• manierlijk
• gemanierd

Related words

• manuaal
• English manner

Usage notes

O, op die manier! means “oh, now I see what you mean”, and op zijn manier “in his own way, for him”.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c d e f Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
5. ^ a b c d e f g Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 240
8. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
10. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
13. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org