manifer

The story

1. French · derived frommain de fer
2. English todaymanifer

Manifer (mainfer, mainfere) ("gauntlet") and manefaire (mainfaire) ("horse's neck armor") are often taken to have originally been one word, attested in Middle English as mayndefer, maynfer, and maynefere in lists of armor used by men and their horses. Harold Dillon, 17th Viscount Dillon and Charles John ffoulkes take the meaning of "gauntlet" to be the original, from French main de fer (literally “hand of iron”); see manefaire (“horse's neck armor”) for more on that meaning.