haut la main

In the 15th century, the expression 'haute à la main' was born. At that time, a person qualified as 'haute à la main' was very authoritarian. Under the Ancien Régime, that is, from the 16th to the 18th century, the hand represented royal power. For example, during ceremonies, the king carried a scepter topped with an ivory hand with three folded fingers: the hand of justice. Gradually, changes occurred. The preposition 'à' disappeared and the word 'haute' lost its final 'e', originally inherent to the feminine gender of the word 'main'. The expression became 'haut la main'. In the 19th century, the expression 'haut la main' referred to the rider and his mount. The rider shortens the reins to control the horse: the rider holds the hand high. Leading one's horse 'haut la main' is synonymous with having a grip on it, a control.