(From the Breton men (or maen) = stone and hir = long)
In Breton the term men-hir refers to any long stone without necessarily implying a standing stone or human intervention; it is also used to mean natural rocky forms. Tradition has led to the word being used in this field, although archaeologists prefer ‘stele’ or ‘standing stone’ as being more appropriate for monoliths erected in a vertical position.