The preferred pronunciation of demesne was originally de-meen, though it has for some time shifted to de-mayn. Although etymologically linked to domain, demesne maintains a stricter, nuanced legal definition respected almost exclusively in British English: it is the land attached to a manor and retained for the owner’s personal use. In American English, demesne tends to appear in more figurative or even jocular senses, though a careful writer may still use it for its strict intention.