Where does “mortmain” come from?
mortmain (English) comes from Anglo-Norman mortmayn, from Old French morte meyn, from Old French mortes meins, from Latin mortua manus, from English manus, from Latin manus, from Proto-Italic manus, from Proto-Indo-European man- — human being; man; hand.
mortmain (English): The perpetual, inalienable possession of lands by...
Definitions
- The perpetual, inalienable possession of lands by...
Ancestry of “mortmain”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | mortmayn | — |
| 2 | Old French | morte meyn | — |
| 3 | Old French | mortes meins | — |
| 4 | Latin | mortua manus | — |
| 5 | English | manus | A hand, as the part of the fore limb below the... |
| 6 | Latin | manus | hand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | manus | hand |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | man- | human being; man; hand |