Legal Definitions - mainovre

Mainovre is a historical legal term, originating from Law French for "hand work." It referred either to a trespass committed by hand or, more broadly, to manual labor.

Term: mainovre

Mainovre is a historical legal term with two primary meanings, both emphasizing actions performed directly by hand. It is no longer commonly used in modern legal contexts.

1. A trespass committed by hand.

This refers to an unlawful physical act or interference carried out directly by a person's hands, often involving an unauthorized touching, moving, or manipulation of another's property or person.

• Example 1: Imagine a historical scenario where a farmer, without permission, physically moved a boundary marker stone separating his land from his neighbor's to expand his own field.
• Explanation: This act would be considered a mainovre because it involved a direct, unauthorized physical manipulation (by hand) of another's property, constituting a trespass.
• Example 2: In a medieval marketplace, if a merchant physically reached into another vendor's stall and deliberately scattered their displayed goods, causing disruption or potential damage, without any right to do so.
• Explanation: This action, a direct physical interference with another's possessions using one's hands, would fit the definition of a mainovre as a trespass committed by hand.

2. Manual labor.

In its second sense, mainovre simply referred to work that required significant physical effort, primarily performed using one's hands.

• Example 1: A skilled artisan in the 15th century meticulously crafting a wooden chest, using hand tools to cut, shape, and join the timber.
• Explanation: The artisan's work, involving detailed physical effort and direct manipulation of materials and tools with their hands, would be described as mainovre.
• Example 2: Workers constructing a stone wall by hand, lifting and placing each heavy stone into position without the aid of machinery.
• Explanation: All these tasks, requiring direct physical engagement and manipulation of materials with their hands, fall under the historical meaning of mainovre as manual labor.