Moyen Âge
In French, the phrase for medieval times is Moyen Âge.
The phrase refers to the period of European history spanning from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance.
What does it mean word for word?
The term Moyen Âge is composed of moyen, meaning middle and âge, meaning age.
Which one should you use?
Moyen Âge is the standard noun for the historical period. If you wish to describe something originating from that era, use the adjective médiéval.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the historical period, the phrase is almost always used with the definite article le, as in le Moyen Âge.
Did you know?
- The adjective médiéval is used for descriptors, but using moyen as an adjective usually means 'average' or 'medium'. This can lead to confusion if the noun Âge is omitted.
- Beyond history books, French writers often use le Moyen Âge to evoke a romanticized or chivalric atmosphere rather than a strict date.
- The word moyen in Moyen Âge is a doublet of the word médian, meaning they both come from the Latin mediānus but entered French through different paths.
Examples in context
- Aujourd'hui, je vais vous parler de l'époque médiévale.Today, I am going to talk to you about medieval times.
- Dans cette présentation, nous allons aborder le Moyen Âge.In this presentation, we will discuss the Middle Ages.
- Tu sais, j'ai toujours été fasciné(e) par l'époque des chevaliers!You know, I've always been fascinated by the era of knights!
- La période médiévale a été marquée par des changements sociétaux importants.The medieval period was marked by significant societal changes.
- L'auteur décrit la vie quotidienne au Moyen Âge avec une grande précision.The author describes daily life in the Middle Ages with great precision.
- On parle souvent du Moyen Âge dans ce film.People often talk about the Middle Ages in this movie.
- La vie était très différente au Moyen Âge.Life was very different during the Middle Ages.
- Ce château date du Moyen Âge.This castle dates back to the Middle Ages.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are at a history museum.
- ManonNathan, regarde cette armure du Moyen Âge !Nathan, look at this armor from the Middle Ages!
- NathanElle est impressionnante, Manon.It is impressive, Manon.
- ManonTu aimes l'histoire de cette époque ?Do you like the history of this era?
- NathanOui, c'est fascinant.Yes, it is fascinating.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries moyen, âge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
