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A Model Mannequin
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MC
Dec 2, 2012, 1:44:07 PM12/2/12
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Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
considering the following (from AHD)?
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
usage: In English usage, the word mannequin occurs much more frequently
than any of its relatives manakin, manikin, and mannikin. The source for
all four words is the Middle Dutch mannekijn (modern Dutch manneken)
'little man,' 'little doll.' Mannequin is the French spelling from this
Dutch source. One of its French meanings, dating from about 1830, is 'a
young woman hired to model clothes' (even though the word means 'little
man '). This sense--still current, but rare in English--first appeared in
1902. The far more common sense of 'a life-size jointed figure or dummy
used for displaying clothes' is first recorded in 1939. Manikin has had
the sense 'little man' (often contemptuous) since the mid 16th century,
when it was sometimes spelled manakin (as it appeared in Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night, as a term of abuse). Manikin's sense of 'an artist's lay
figure' also dates from the mid 16th century (first recorded with the
Dutch spelling manneken).To confuse matters further, in modern usage,
the words manakin and mannikin refer to birds of two unrelated families.
The history of these bird names is somewhat obscure. Manakin may have
come from the Portuguese manaquim 'mannikin,' a variant of manequim
'mannequin.' Mannikin may have come directly from the source of the
Portuguese words, the Middle Dutch mannekijn .
--
"If you can, tell me something happy."
- Marybones
considering the following (from AHD)?
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
usage: In English usage, the word mannequin occurs much more frequently
than any of its relatives manakin, manikin, and mannikin. The source for
all four words is the Middle Dutch mannekijn (modern Dutch manneken)
'little man,' 'little doll.' Mannequin is the French spelling from this
Dutch source. One of its French meanings, dating from about 1830, is 'a
young woman hired to model clothes' (even though the word means 'little
man '). This sense--still current, but rare in English--first appeared in
1902. The far more common sense of 'a life-size jointed figure or dummy
used for displaying clothes' is first recorded in 1939. Manikin has had
the sense 'little man' (often contemptuous) since the mid 16th century,
when it was sometimes spelled manakin (as it appeared in Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night, as a term of abuse). Manikin's sense of 'an artist's lay
figure' also dates from the mid 16th century (first recorded with the
Dutch spelling manneken).To confuse matters further, in modern usage,
the words manakin and mannikin refer to birds of two unrelated families.
The history of these bird names is somewhat obscure. Manakin may have
come from the Portuguese manaquim 'mannikin,' a variant of manequim
'mannequin.' Mannikin may have come directly from the source of the
Portuguese words, the Middle Dutch mannekijn .
--
"If you can, tell me something happy."
- Marybones
David Dyer-Bennet
Dec 2, 2012, 2:38:11 PM12/2/12
to
MC <cope...@mapca.inter.net> writes:
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
Well, if you're already calling them "fashion models", it seems an
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
obvious path to shorten that to "model".
I'm familiar with "mannequin" as the name for the full-size body or
torso models (generally with somewhat poseable arms and legs) used to
display clothing in stores (American). So it doesn't seem completely
weird that people employed to do that same job might get called that.
Unless the Dutch history traces to the inanimate meaning, I'm not sure
it's relevant here.
Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/
Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/
Dragaera: http://dragaera.info
Horace LaBadie
Dec 2, 2012, 2:50:33 PM12/2/12
to
In article <copespaz-ADEABF...@news.eternal-september.org>,
The women are merely living dolls, as it were, to be dressed up and
displayed.
displayed.
Peter Brooks
Dec 2, 2012, 2:54:23 PM12/2/12
to
On Dec 2, 9:50 pm, Horace LaBadie <hwlabadi...@nospam.highstream.net>
wrote:
> In article <copespaz-ADEABF.13440702122...@news.eternal-september.org>,
If you call that living.
wrote:
> In article <copespaz-ADEABF.13440702122...@news.eternal-september.org>,
Jerry Friedman
Dec 2, 2012, 4:23:08 PM12/2/12
to
On Dec 2, 11:44 am, MC <copes...@mapca.inter.net> wrote:
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
>
> ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
> usage:
...
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
>
> ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
> usage:
> To confuse matters further, in modern usage,
> the words manakin and mannikin refer to birds of two unrelated families.
Pet peeve: the bird families aren't unrelated. They're even both
families of birds. "Families in different suborders" might have been
better, though it's more than most dictionary readers would want to
know.
--
Jerry Friedman
Horace LaBadie
Dec 2, 2012, 4:25:24 PM12/2/12
to
In article
<69c0502a-815d-404f...@eo2g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,
<69c0502a-815d-404f...@eo2g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,
Peter Brooks <peter.h....@gmail.com> wrote:
> > The women are merely living dolls, as it were, to be dressed up and
> > displayed.
> >
> If you call that living.
Hey, Julie Newmar is still living!
> > The women are merely living dolls, as it were, to be dressed up and
> > displayed.
> >
> If you call that living.
J. J. Lodder J. J. Lodder
Dec 3, 2012, 5:57:52 AM12/3/12
to
MC <cope...@mapca.inter.net> wrote:
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
>
> ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
> usage: In English usage, the word mannequin occurs much more frequently
> than any of its relatives manakin, manikin, and mannikin. The source for
> all four words is the Middle Dutch mannekijn (modern Dutch manneken)
> 'little man,' 'little doll.' Mannequin is the French spelling from this
> Dutch source. One of its French meanings, dating from about 1830, is 'a
> young woman hired to model clothes' (even though the word means 'little
> man '). This sense--still current, but rare in English--first appeared in
> 1902. The far more common sense of 'a life-size jointed figure or dummy
> used for displaying clothes' is first recorded in 1939. Manikin has had
> the sense 'little man' (often contemptuous) since the mid 16th century,
> when it was sometimes spelled manakin (as it appeared in Shakespeare's
> Twelfth Night, as a term of abuse). Manikin's sense of 'an artist's lay
> figure' also dates from the mid 16th century (first recorded with the
> Dutch spelling manneken)
As examplified by the most famous of them all
> Why are female fashion models called "models" or "mannequins,"
> considering the following (from AHD)?
>
> ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French, from Dutch (see manikin) .
> usage: In English usage, the word mannequin occurs much more frequently
> than any of its relatives manakin, manikin, and mannikin. The source for
> all four words is the Middle Dutch mannekijn (modern Dutch manneken)
> 'little man,' 'little doll.' Mannequin is the French spelling from this
> Dutch source. One of its French meanings, dating from about 1830, is 'a
> young woman hired to model clothes' (even though the word means 'little
> man '). This sense--still current, but rare in English--first appeared in
> 1902. The far more common sense of 'a life-size jointed figure or dummy
> used for displaying clothes' is first recorded in 1939. Manikin has had
> the sense 'little man' (often contemptuous) since the mid 16th century,
> when it was sometimes spelled manakin (as it appeared in Shakespeare's
> Twelfth Night, as a term of abuse). Manikin's sense of 'an artist's lay
> figure' also dates from the mid 16th century (first recorded with the
> Dutch spelling manneken)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis>
The legend dates back to about 1300
You can look him up in Google images.
He changes his dress frequently,
as a manneken should,
Jan
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