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Hello Maverick Both derive from Old French 'maynier'. 'To maim' originally meant to deprive someone of a limb through violence. Now it also has the looser meaning of 'to mutilate'.
- Hello Maverick Both derive from Old French 'maynier'.
- 'To maim' originally meant to deprive someone of a limb through violence.
- Now it also has the looser meaning of 'to mutilate'.
- 'Mayhem' originally meant the act of maiming.
- Now it mostly has the metaphorical sense of 'violent disturbance or action', especially in the phrases 'to cause mayhem', 'it/there was mayhem'.
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8 Answers
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Hello Maverick
Both derive from Old French 'maynier'.
'To maim' originally meant to deprive someone of a limb through violence. Now it also has the looser meaning of 'to mutilate'.
'Mayhem' originally meant the act of maiming. Now it mostly has the metaphorical sense of 'violent disturbance or action', especially in the phrases 'to cause mayhem', 'it/there was mayhem
Both derive from Old French 'maynier'.
'To maim' originally meant to deprive someone of a limb through violence. Now it also has the looser meaning of 'to mutilate'.
'Mayhem' originally meant the act of maiming. Now it mostly has the metaphorical sense of 'violent disturbance or action', especially in the phrases 'to cause mayhem', 'it/there was mayhem
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I don't think so, Pieanne – 'maynier' is apparently Germanic (Norse 'meitha') while 'May' derives from the Roman 'Maius'.
That said, who knows where 'meitha' came from!
MrP
That said, who knows where 'meitha' came from!
MrP
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