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Origin and history of matins

matins(n.)

canonical hour, mid-13c., from Old French matines (12c.), from Late Latin matutinas (nominative matutinæ) "morning prayers," originally matutinas vigilias "morning watches," from Latin matutinus "of or in the morning," associated with Matuta, Roman dawn goddess (see manana). Properly a midnight office (occupied by two services, nocturns and lauds) but sometimes celebrated at sunrise. The Old English word was uht-sang, from uhte "daybreak."

also from mid-13c.

Entries linking to matins

manana

from Spanish mañana, "tomorrow," from cras manñana, literally "tomorrow early," from Vulgar Latin *maneana "early," from Latin mane "in the morning," from PIE *ma- "good," with notion of "occurring at a good time, timely, early" (compare matins; and see mature (v.)). "Often taken as a synonym of easy-going procrastination said to be found in Spanish-speaking countries" [OED].

matin(n.)

see matins.

matinee(n.)

"afternoon performance, an entertainment held in the daytime," 1848, from French matinée (musicale), from matinée "morning" (with a sense here of "daytime"), from matin "morning" (but here "afternoon" or "daytime"), from Old French matines (see matins). Originally as a French word in English; it lost its foreignness by late 19c. For the French suffix, compare journey.

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    Trends of matins

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    dirge
    c. 1400), "that part of the Office for the Dead beginning with the antiphon for the first psalm of the first nocturn of matins...
    legem pone
    "payment of money, cash down," 1570s, old slang, from the title in the Anglican prayer-book of the psalm appointed for Matins...
    legend
    légende) and directly from Medieval Latin legenda "legend, story," especially lives of saints, which were formerly read at matins...
    morning
    "first part of the day" (technically from midnight to noon), late 14c., a contraction of mid-13c. morwenynge, moregeninge, from morn, morewen (see morn) + suffix -ing, on pattern of evening. Originally the time just before sunrise. As an adjective from 1530s; as a greeting by 184
    prayer
    c. 1300, preiere, "earnest request, entreaty, petition," also "the practice of praying or of communing with God," from Old French prier "prayer, petition, request" (12c., Modern French prière), from Medieval Latin precaria "petition, prayer," noun use of Latin adjective precaria,
    faithful
    early 14c., "sincerely religious, devout, pious," especially in reference to Christian practice; mid-14c., "loyal (to a lord, friend, spouse, etc.); true; honest, trustworthy," from faith + -ful. From late 14c. in reference to a tale, a report, etc., "accurate, reliable, true to
    Indian
    "inhabit of India or South Asia; pertaining to India," c. 1300 (noun and adjective), from Late Latin indianus, from India (see India). Applied to the aboriginal native inhabitants of the Americas from at least 1553 as a noun (1610s as an adjective), reflecting Spanish and Portugu
    paradise
    late Old English, "the garden of Eden," from Old French paradis "paradise, garden of Eden" (11c.), from Late Latin paradisus "a park, an orchard; the garden of Eden, the abode of the blessed," from Greek paradeisos "a park; paradise, the garden of Eden," from an Iranian source si
    frog-march
    also frog's march, 1871, a term that originated among London police and referred to their method of moving "a drunken or refractory prisoner" by carrying him face-down between four people, each holding a limb; the connection with frog (n.1) perhaps being the notion of going along
    courage
    c. 1300, corage, "heart (as the seat of emotions)," hence "spirit, temperament, state or frame of mind,"from Old French corage "heart, innermost feelings; temper" (12c., Modern French courage), from Vulgar Latin *coraticum (source of Italian coraggio, Spanish coraje), from Latin

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