The term MONTAIGNE WORK is a reference to the work of French Renaissance philosopher Michel de Montaigne. The two crossword solutions for this term are ESSAY and ESSAI, both of which have five letters. ESSAY and essai are both words derived from the French verb essayer, meaning 'to try' or 'to attempt'. Montaigne's work was largely composed of essays, which were short works of non-fiction that explored a variety of topics. His essays were influential in the development of the ESSAY form, and his work is still widely read today.