Etymology Map
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Mannequin

3 stages from Middle Dutch to English.

Today it means a dummy used to display clothes; a fashion model

Where does the word "mannequin" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch manneken, passing through French before entering English (1570s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
manneken
Middle Dutch · medieval
"little man"
'little man'; Brussels' famous statue is the Manneken Pis
2
Stage 2 of 3
mannequin
French · 1600s
"artist's model; dummy"
an artist's jointed model, then a dressmaker's dummy
3
Stage 3 of 3
mannequin
English · 1570s
"dummy; model"
first 'a little man'; the sense of a shop-window dummy or live model came from French in the 1900s
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Read the full story

Mannequin’s story begins in Middle Dutch: manneken meant “little man.” 'little man'; Brussels' famous statue is the Manneken Pis. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as mannequin. An artist's jointed model, then a dressmaker's dummy. It reached English by 1570s as mannequin. First 'a little man'; the sense of a shop-window dummy or live model came from French in the 1900s. Today, mannequin means a dummy used to display clothes; a fashion model.