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Origin and history of memoir

memoir(n.)

early 15c., "written record," from Anglo-French memorie "note, memorandum, something written to be kept in mind" (early 15c., Old French memoire), from Latin memoria (from PIE root *(s)mer- (1) "to remember"). The more specific sense of "a notice or essay relating to something within the writer's own memory or knowledge" is from 17c. Meaning "person's written account of his or her life" is from 1670s. Related: Memoirist.

Biography, Memoir. When there is a difference between these words, it may be that memoir indicates a less complete or minute account of a person's life, or it may be that the person himself records his own recollections of the past, especially as connected with his own life; in the latter case memoir should be in the plural. [Century Dictionary]

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to memoir

memoirs(n.)

"personal record of events, narrative of the facts or events of the life of a person or a phase of history written from personal knowledge or observation upon points about which the writer is specially informed," 1650s, plural of memoir.

*(s)mer-(1)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to remember." 

It might form all or part of: commemorate; commemoration; mourn; memo; memoir; memorable; memorandum; memorial; memorious; memorize; memory; remember.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit smarati "remembers;" Avestan mimara "mindful;" Greek merimna "care, thought," mermeros "causing anxiety, mischievous, baneful;" Latin memoria "memory, remembrance, faculty of remembering," memor "mindful, remembering;" Serbo-Croatian mariti "to care for;" Welsh marth "sadness, anxiety;" Old Norse Mimir, name of the giant who guards the Well of Wisdom; Old English gemimor "known," murnan "to mourn, remember sorrowfully;" Dutch mijmeren "to ponder."

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    Trends of memoir

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

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    sanctuary
    early 14c., seintuarie, sentwary, etc., "consecrated place, building set apart for holy worship; holy or sacred object," from Anglo-French sentuarie, Old French saintuaire "sacred relic, holy thing; reliquary, sanctuary," from Late Latin sanctuarium "a sacred place, shrine" (espe
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