The word "dungeon" comes from French "donjon" (also spelled "dongeon"), which means "keep", the main tower of a castle. The first recorded instance of the word in English was near the beginning of the 14th century when it held the same meaning as "donjon". The proper original meaning of "keep" is still in use for academics, although in popular culture it has been largely misused and come to mean a cell or "oubliette". Though it is uncertain, both "dungeon" and "donjon" are thought to derive from the Middle Latin word "dominus", meaning "lord" or "master".