The French word for “now,” maintenant, goes back to Latin manu tenendo, which literally refers to the idea of holding something in one’s hand. Over time, that expression also came to mean something that is “at hand” or “immediate.” The English term maintain also derives from Latin words meaning “to hold in the hand.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “French Now”
I was always puzzled by the French word for now. It never made sense to me.
No?
Mm—
Why?
It just seemed like an odd word for now.
It looks like main tenet, right?
-huh. Yep. Yep. And I had this light bulb moment this week when I realized that it actually
Goes back to the Latin manutenendo, which means holding something in one’s hand. And so if you’re
Talking about now, it’s this moment that you’re holding in your hand. Oh, the palm of your hand.
You’re holding time here in the palm of your hand. Yeah, kind of. In the grip of your little
Mitten. Yeah, kind of. It suggests the idea of immediacy. Yeah. Well, interesting that you said
Far because it suggests the idea of immediacy, you know, something you’ve got right there in
Your hand and proximity, and then it sort of morphed into the idea of now.
Just now.
But yeah, but it’s related to the English word maintain.
But maintenant comes from French words that mean while one is holding something in one’s
Hand.
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