manuels

Manuels is the French plural noun referring to books that provide instructions or information intended to guide a reader through a task, system, or body of knowledge. In French, a manuel can denote a wide range of instructional volumes, including school textbooks, technical guides, and reference manuals; the plural manuels refers to several such books. In English-language contexts, the spelling manuals is used instead, and the term manuels is typically encountered in discussions of French-language materials or bilingual texts.

Etymology and usage context: The word manuel comes from the Old French manuel, ultimately derived from Latin manualis, meaning related to the hand. In French, manual has both a substantive sense (a handbook or guide) and an adjectival sense (manual, relating to the hand or to manual work). The noun sense manifested as manuels for multiple volumes. The phrase manuels scolaires is especially common, referring to school textbooks, while manuels d’utilisation or manuels techniques describe user manuals and technical guides, respectively.

Content and formats: A manuel typically offers structured information such as objectives, step-by-step instructions, procedures, diagrams, safety notes, and troubleshooting guidance. They may be printed volumes, digital documents, or embedded within software and appliances. Educational manuals often include exercises, examples, and glossaries, whereas technical manuals emphasize maintenance protocols, specifications, and diagnostic procedures.

See also: manual, user guide, textbook, instruction manual, reference book.