mansion English · revision 10508

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1340|origins=fro mansion|origins=la mansio|origins=ine-pro *men-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmæn.ʃən/, /ˈmæn.t͡ʃən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English mansioun, [[bor|fro|mansion|t=stay, abode, house]] and directly from Latin mānsiō, mānsiōnem, a staying, night quarters, station,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from mānsus, past participle of manēre, to stay, remain (see [[remain]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from PIE *men-, to remain.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) French maison, house, is from the same Latin word.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The act of dwelling, abiding: before 1340, about 1340 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The chief residence of a lord is the NODE's first sense and Etymonline's of the mid-14th century,^(NODE 1998)^(Etymonline) while Barnhart dates manor house to before 1512.^(Barnhart 1988) Mansions translated Greek monaí and Vulgate mansiones in John xiv, ''In my Father's house are many mansions'';^(OED 1989)^(Trench 1859) Trench notes that the translators meant resting places, not houses in the modern auctioneers' sense.^(Trench 1859) Any large and stately house is from the 1510s,^(Etymonline) and Hoad dates the sense stately residence to the 19th century.^(Hoad 1986) In astrology it is one of the 28 divisions of the moon's path.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) In Britain ''mansions'' is also a block of flats.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1340 – a dwelling.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-14th century – a lord's residence.^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1512 – a manor house.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1510s – a stately house.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A large, stately house.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A [[manor]] house.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A dwelling or abode.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(British, mansions)'' A block of flats.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[executive mansion]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[manor]]

+ * [[manse]]

+ * [[maisonette]]

+ * [[menial]]

+ * [[menage]]

+ * [[remain]]

+ * [[permanent]]

+ * [[menagerie]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}