Exemples

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. Instances provided to illustrate a rule or concept ; samples that demonstrate how something is used or operates
  2. Items selected to serve as models for clarification ; specific cases offered to explain or highlight a principle or practice
  3. Representative cases given to make a point clearer ; selected illustrations that help detail the meaning or application of an idea

Etymology: The word you provided, "exemples," is actually a variant spelling of "examples," and its history is tied closely to the Latin root from which the English term derives. English borrowed the concept from Old French "exemple," which itself comes from the Latin "exemplum," meaning a pattern, model, or sample to be imitated or avoided. The Latin root "exemplum" is formed from "ex-" meaning "out of" and "emere," meaning "to take," so it literally conveys the idea of "taking out" or "selecting" something as a sample or illustration. This Latin term entered English through the influence of Norman French after the Norman Conquest in 1066, a time when many Latin-derived words entered the English lexicon via French. By the Middle English period, the word had settled into the form "example," already carrying the sense of a representative instance used to clarify or prove a point. The spelling "exemples" itself reflects the plural form used in Old French and Middle English, where the "s" indicated more than one instance. Over time, English standardized the spelling to "examples," aligning with modern conventions. The singular "example" and the plural "examples" became the norm, but earlier texts often show variant spellings like "exemples," which can still be found in some historical or stylized contexts. In essence, the term has maintained a consistent meaning from its Latin origins to the present: a specimen or instance that illustrates a larger concept or rule. It moved from a concrete sense of a physical model or pattern to a more abstract use in reasoning, teaching, and argumentation, preserving its core function as a tool for understanding.