Old French

Alternative forms

• demeine
• demesne
• domaine
• domane

Adjective

demaine m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular demaine)

1. seignorial; lordly
2. possessive (indicating possession, ownership)

Etymology 2

Substantivation of the above adjective, or taken from Latin dominium.

Noun

demaine m ‎(oblique plural demaines, nominative singular demaines, nominative plural demaine)

1. entourage of a king or another important person
2. holdings (land)
   • circa 1155, Wace, Le Roman de Brut:

     Romain en demaine l'avoient

     The Romans had it as a territory

Descendants

• English: demesne, domain (borrowed)
• French: domaine

References

• (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (demaine)