English
memoir
Memoir comes from French mémoire ‘memory’, and goes back to Latin memor ‘mindful, remembering (+ genitive)’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemor‘mindful, remembering (+ genitive)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemoria‘memory’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400memoire‘memory’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘memory’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmémoire‘memory’
- Englishtodaymemoir
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemor‘mindful, remembering (+ genitive)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmemoria‘memory’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400memoire‘memory’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘memory’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmémoire‘memory’
- Englishtodaymemoir
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- ‘to fall into thinking, remember, care for’
merit, martyr, mourn, memorandum, mer, moratorium, memorabilia, mora, 14 more
through Latin memor ‘mindful, remembering (+ genitive)’
through Latin memoria ‘memory’
Today it means
noun An autobiography; a book describing the personal experiences of an author.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin memor / memoir