Etymology
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menial (adj.)

late 14c., "pertaining to a household," from Anglo-French meignial, from Old French mesnie "household," earlier mesnede, from Vulgar Latin *mansionata, from Latin mansionem "dwelling" (see mansion). Compare Middle English meine "a household, household servants" (c. 1300; also "chessmen"), from Anglo-French meine, Old French maisniee. From early 15c. as "belonging to a retinue or train of servants." Sense of "lowly, humble, servile, suited to a servant" is recorded by 1670s.

Origin and meaning of menial

menial (n.)

"a domestic servant, one of a body of household servants," late 14c., meynyal; see menial (adj.).

Entries linking to menial

mansion (n.)

mid-14c., "chief residence of a lord," from Old French mansion "stay, permanent abode, house, habitation, home; mansion; state, situation" (13c.), from Latin mansionem (nominative mansio) "a staying, a remaining, night quarters, station," noun of action from past participle stem of manere "to stay, abide" (from PIE root *men- (3) "to remain"). Sense of "any large and stately house" is from 1510s. The word also was used in Middle English as "a stop or stage of a journey," hence probably astrological sense "temporary home" (late 14c.).

*men- (3)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to remain." It forms all or part of: maisonette; manor; manse; mansion; menage; menial; immanent; permanent; remain; remainder.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Persian mandan "to remain;" Greek menein "to remain;" Latin manere "to stay, abide."

updated on October 13, 2021

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Dictionary entries near menial

Mendoza line

Menelaus

menfolk

menhaden

menhir

menial

meningeal

meninges

meningitis

meniscus

Mennonite

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