menhir
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menhir
- /ˈmɛnhɪə/ UK
- /ˈmɛnˌ(h)ɪ(ə)ɹ/ US
Where it comes from
PIE word
*méǵh₂s
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂sder.?
Proto-Celtic *maginos
Proto-Brythonic *maɣɨnder.
Breton maen
Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-rós
Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-ró-s
Proto-Celtic *sīros
Proto-Brythonic *hirder.
Breton hir
Breton maen-hirbor.
French menhirbor.
English menhir
Either borrowed from French menhir, or from its etymon Breton maen-hir, compound of maen (“stone”) + hir (“long”). Compare with Welsh maen hir, and Cornish men hir.
noun menhirs
-
A single tall standing stone as a monument, especially one dating to prehistoric times.
Near-synonym: orthostat
Similar: standing stone, orthostat
Translations
Talk about this word "menhir." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/menhir. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026. menhir. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 8, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/menhir "menhir." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 8, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/menhir.Cite this
@misc{menhir_2026,
title = {menhir},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/menhir},
urldate = {2026-11-08}
}
