minne

Minne is a term used in multiple languages and modern contexts, with different meanings depending on usage.

In medieval German literature, minne (often capitalized as Minne in English translations) denotes the idealized form of courtly love that governs the viewpoints of poets and musicians in the Minnesang tradition (roughly the 12th to the 14th century). Minne describes a devotional love for a noble lady and functions as a driving emotional and ethical principle in lyric poetry and song, shaping themes of loyalty, restraint, and poetic refinement.

Minne is also the name of a contemporary Japanese online marketplace for handmade goods. The platform enables individual creators to open storefronts, list items such as jewelry, accessories, and home goods, and manage payments and shipping through integrated tools. It is one of the larger marketplaces for handmade crafts in Japan and serves both sellers and buyers seeking artisanal products.

These meanings are separate uses of the same spelling; in English-language historical writing minne refers to courtly love, while in Japanese commerce it refers to a brand-name marketplace.