Definitions for menhir
ˈmɛn hɪrmen·hir

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. menhir, standing stonenoun

   a tall upright megalith; found primarily in England and northern France

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. menhirnoun

   A single tall standing stone as a monument, especially of prehistoric times.

2. Etymology: From maen-hir, from maen + hir (= Welsh maen hir, Cornish mênhere).

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Menhir

   A menhir (from Brittonic languages: maen or men, "stone" and hir or hîr, "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found individually as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Menhirs' size can vary considerably, but they often taper toward the top. They are widely distributed across Europe, Africa and Asia, but are most numerous in Western Europe; particularly in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany, where there are about 50,000 examples, and northwestern France, where there are some 1,200 further examples. Standing stones are usually difficult to date. They were constructed during many different periods across pre-history as part of the larger megalithic cultures in Europe and near areas. Some menhirs stand next to buildings that have an early or current religious significance. One example is the South Zeal Menhir in Devon, which formed the basis for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms hotel, at South Zeal, and the standing stone remains in place in the snug bar at the hotel.Where menhirs appear in groups, often in a circular, oval, henge or horseshoe formation, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. These are sites of ancient religious ceremonies, sometimes containing burial chambers. The exact function of menhirs has provoked more debate than practically any other issue in European pre-history. Over the centuries, they have variously been thought to have been used by Druids for human sacrifice, used as territorial markers, or elements of a complex ideological system, used as mnemonic systems for oral cultures, or functioned as early calendars. Until the nineteenth century, antiquarians did not have substantial knowledge of prehistory, and their only reference points were provided by classical literature. The developments of radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology have significantly advanced scientific knowledge in this area. The word menhir was adopted from French by 19th-century archaeologists. The introduction of the word into general archaeological usage has been attributed to the 18th-century French military officer Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne. It is a combination of two words of the Breton language: maen and hir. In modern Welsh, they are described as maen hir, or "long stone". In modern Breton, the word peulvan is used, with peul meaning "stake" or "post" and van which is a soft mutation of the word maen which means "stone". In Germany and Scandinavia the word Bauta is used (e.g. de:Bautastein and no:bautastein) and this occasionally makes its way into English with the term "bauta stone".

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. menhir

   A menhir is a tall, upright stone, typically dating from the Bronze Age, used either alone or as part of a group. They are often found in Western Europe and Africa with unknown cultural, historical, or religious significance. It is believed they may have been used for astronomical or ceremonial purposes.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Menhirnoun

   a large stone set upright in olden times as a memorial or monument. Many, of unknown date, are found in Brittany and throughout Northern Europe

2. Etymology: [F. Armor. men stone + hir high.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Menhir

   A menhir, standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably, but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top. Menhirs are widely distributed across Europe, Africa and Asia, but are most numerous in Western Europe; in particular in Ireland, Great Britain and Brittany. There are about 50,000 megaliths in these areas, while there are 1,200 menhirs in northwest France alone. Standing stones are usually difficult to date, but pottery found underneath some in Atlantic Europe connects them with the Beaker people. They were constructed during many different periods across pre-history, and they were erected as part of a larger megalithic culture that flourished in Europe and beyond. Some menhirs have been raised next to buildings which often have some early or current religious significance. One example is the South Zeal Menhir in Devon, which formed the basis for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms Hotel at South Zeal, and the standing stone remains in place in the ancient snug bar at the hotel.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Menhir

   men′hēr, n. a tall, often massive, stone, set up on end as a monument in ancient times, either singly or in groups, circles, &c. [W. maen, a stone, hir, long.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Menhir

   a kind of rude obelisk understood to be a sepulchral monument.

Matched Categories

1. • Megalith

How to pronounce menhir?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say menhir in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of menhir in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of menhir in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=menhir
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Menhir
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhir
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menhir
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=menhir
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=menhir
8. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Menhir