Mendour

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a person whose work is mending or repairing objects, especially clothing or household items
2. An old-fashioned word for someone who patches, fixes or restores things that have been damaged or worn
3. A rare, dated name for a worker who repairs or sets right articles that have fallen into disrepair

Etymology: "Mend" is a shortened form of "amend." Latin "emendare" meant to remove a fault, built from "e-" (out of) and "menda," a fault or blemish. Old French took it as "amender," and English adopted it to mean correcting or improving something. Over time the word lost its opening syllable in everyday speech, leaving "mend" for repairing a torn coat or a broken fence. "Mendour" is a Middle English form of the agent noun, one who mends, formed on the same stem with the "-our" ending that English used for many workers and doers. It likely named a person who repaired or corrected things. Modern English keeps the agent form as "mender," and "mendour" survives mainly in historical spellings.