menhir

Where does the word "menhir" come from? It comes from Breton men hir, passing through French before entering English (1840s).

Menhir’s story begins in Breton: men hir meant “long stone.” Men 'stone' + hir 'long'; the Carnac alignments in Brittany contain around 3,000 standing stones. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in French as menhir. Adopted by French antiquarians; much later, from 1959, the Asterix comics made Obelix a menhir deliveryman. It reached English by 1840s as menhir. Taken from French; the Grand Menhir Brisé at Locmariaquer, now broken in four, was over 20 metres long. Today, menhir means a tall upright prehistoric standing stone.

1. Stage 1 · Breton · medieval men hir "long stone", men 'stone' + hir 'long'; the Carnac alignments in Brittany contain around 3,000 standing stones.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1800s menhir "standing stone", adopted by French antiquarians; much later, from 1959, the Asterix comics made Obelix a menhir deliveryman.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1840s menhir "prehistoric standing stone", taken from French; the Grand Menhir Brisé at Locmariaquer, now broken in four, was over 20 metres long.