From Anglo-Norman 'maihem' (maiming) — originally the specific legal crime of deliberately disabling someone's fighting ability.
Violent or damaging disorder; chaos.
From Anglo-Norman 'maihem,' from Old French 'mahaignier' (to maim, mutilate). Originally a specific legal term for the crime of deliberately maiming someone — cutting off a hand, putting out an eye, or otherwise disabling them so they couldn't fight. Key roots: mahaignier (Old French: "to maim, mutilate").
'Mayhem' was a felony before it was a feeling. In medieval law, mayhem specifically meant deliberately cutting off someone's limb or destroying their ability to fight — it was about military readiness, not general chaos. A broken nose wasn't mayhem (you could still fight), but a severed sword hand