man
Translingual
English
![](../I/Gentleman_chanteur.jpg.webp)
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /mæn/
- (æ-tensing) IPA(key): [mɛən], [meən], [mẽə̃n]
- (Jamaica) IPA(key): [mɑn]
- (New Zealand, parts of South Africa) IPA(key): [mɛn]
Audio (US) (file) Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -æn
Etymology 1
From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- m (“human being, man”). Doublet of Manu.
Alternative forms
- (singular): mang (dialectal rendering, suggesting a Spanish accent), mans (slang), mon (slang, used in the vocative, in places such as Jamaica and Shropshire in England), mxn (rare, feminist)
- (plural): mans (Multicultural London English, Toronto, nonstandard, proscribed), mens, man, mandem (Multicultural London English),[1] mens (nonstandard, African-American Vernacular), mxn (rare, feminist), myn (very rare, chiefly humorous)
- (interjection): maaan (elongated)
Noun
man (plural men)
- An adult male human.
- The show is especially popular with middle-aged men.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:
- The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314:
- “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:man.
- (collective) All human males collectively: mankind.
- 2011, Eileen Gray and the Design of Sapphic Modernity: Staying In, page 109:
- Unsurprisingly, if modern man is a sort of camera, modern woman is a picture.
- 2011, Eileen Gray and the Design of Sapphic Modernity: Staying In, page 109:
- A human, a person regardless of gender, usually an adult. (See usage notes.)
- every man for himself
- c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- […] a man cannot make him laugh.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Romans 12:17:
- Recompence to no man euill for euill.
- 1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: Printed by A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, OCLC 55189476; republished as Geoffrey Keynes, John Sparrow, editor, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: […], Cambridge: At the University Press, 1923, OCLC 459265555, lines 2–3, page 98:
- No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]
- c. 1700, Joseph Addison, Monaco, Genoa, &c., page 9:
- A man would expect, in so very ancient a town of Italy, to find some considerable antiquities; but all they have to show of this nature is an old Rostrum of a Roman ship, that stands over the door of their arsenal.
- 1991 edition (original: 1953), Darell Huff, How to Lie with Statistics, pages 19–20:
- Similarly, the next time you learn from your reading that the average man (you hear a good deal about him these days, most of it faintly improbable) brushes his teeth 1.02 times a day—a figure I have just made up, but it may be as good as anyone else's – ask yourself a question. How can anyone have found out such a thing? Is a woman who has read in countless advertisements that non-brushers are social offenders going to confess to a stranger that she does not brush her teeth regularly?
- 2021 January 20, Amanda Gorman, "The Hill We Climb":
- We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.
- (collective) All humans collectively: mankind, humankind, humanity. (Sometimes capitalized as Man.)
- 1647, Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 10:
- How did God create man?
- God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
- 1991, Barry J. Blake, Australian Aboriginal Languages: A General Introduction, page 75:
- Academics who study Aboriginal languages are [...] contributing to Man’s search for knowledge, a search that interests most people even if they are not personally involved in it.
- 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
- Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.
- 1647, Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 10:
- (anthropology, archaeology, paleontology) A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens.
- 1990, The Almanac of Science and Technology →ISBN, page 68:
- The evidence suggests that close relatives of early man, in lineages that later became extinct, also were able to use tools.
- 1990, The Almanac of Science and Technology →ISBN, page 68:
- A male person, usually an adult; a (generally adult male) sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc.
- c. 1500, A Gest of Robyn Hode, in the Child Ballads:
- For God is holde a ryghtwys man.
- 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene v]:
- God's a good man.
- 1609 December (first performance), Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, OCLC 960101342, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- Expect: But was the devil a proper man, gossip?
As fine a gentleman of his inches as ever I saw trusted to the stage, or any where else.
- 2008, Christopher Paolini, Brisingr: Or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular - Inheritance Book Three (→ISBN), page 549:
- Clearing a space between the tables, the men tested their prowess against one another with feats of wrestling and archery and bouts with quarterstaves. Two of the elves, a man and a woman, demonstrated their skill with swordplay— […]
- 2014, Oisin McGann, Kings of the Realm: Cruel Salvation, Penguin UK (→ISBN):
- There was a pair of burly dwarves – a woman and a man – bearing the markings of the formidable Thane Guards.
- c. 1500, A Gest of Robyn Hode, in the Child Ballads:
- An adult male who has, to an eminent degree, qualities considered masculine, such as strength, integrity, and devotion to family; a mensch.
- 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In The Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, OCLC 702939134, part VI (Captain Silver), page 234:
- He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house […]
- 2011, Timothy Shephard, Can We Help Us?: Growing Up Bi-Racial in America →ISBN, page 181:
- I had the opportunity to marry one of them but wasn't mature enough to be a man and marry her and be close to the […] children and raise them […].
- (uncountable, obsolete, uncommon) Manliness; the quality or state of being manly.
- 1598, Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, OCLC 960101342, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- Methought he bare himself in such a fashion, / So full of man, and sweetness in his carriage, / […]
- A husband.
- 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], OCLC 56485293:
- I pronounce that they are man and wife.
- 1715, Joseph Addison, The Freeholder:
- In the next place, every wife ought to answer for her man.
- A male lover; a boyfriend.
- A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of or devoted to a specified kind of thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.)
- Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man.
- A person, usually male, who has duties or skills associated with a specified thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.)
- I wanted to be a guitar man on a road tour, but instead I’m a flag man on a road crew.
- A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's requirements with regard to a specified matter.
- 2007, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night →ISBN, page 553:
- "She's the man for the job."
- 2008, Soccer Dad: A Father, a Son, and a Magic Season →ISBN, page 148:
- Joanie volunteered, of course — if any dirty job is on offer requiring running, she's your man —
- 2012, The Island Caper: A Jake Lafferty Action Novel →ISBN, page 34:
- He also owns the only backhoe tractor on Elbow Cay, so whenever anyone needs a cistern dug, he's their man.
- 2007, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night →ISBN, page 553:
- A male who belongs to a particular group: an employee, a student or alumnus, a representative, etc.
- 1909, Harper's Weekly, volume 53, page iii:
- When President Roosevelt goes walking in the country about Washington he is always accompanied by two Secret Service men.
- 1913, Robert Herrick, One Woman's Life, page 46:
- "And they're very good people, I assure you — he's a Harvard man." It was the first time Milly had met on intimate terms a graduate of a large university.
- 1909, Harper's Weekly, volume 53, page iii:
- An adult male servant.
- (historical) A vassal; a subject.
- Like master, like man.(old proverb)
- all the king's men
- c. 1700s, William Blackstone:
- The vassal, or tenant, kneeling, ungirt, uncovered, and holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he did become his man from that day forth, of life, limb, and earthly honour.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698, page 46:
- No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
- A piece or token used in board games such as chess.
- 1883, Henry Richter, Chess Simplified!, page 4:
- The white men are always put on that side of the board which commences by row I, and the black men are placed opposite.
- 1883, Henry Richter, Chess Simplified!, page 4:
- A term of familiar address often implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste.
- Come on, man, we've got no time to lose!
- A friendly term of address usually reserved for other adult males.
- Hey, man, how's it goin'?
- (sports) A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of limiting their attacking impact.
- 2018 Dinny Navaratnam, Andrews will learn from experience: Fagan Brisbane Lions, 30 July 2018. Accessed 6 August 2018.
- "It was a brutal return to football for Brisbane Lions defender Harris Andrews as his man Tom Hawkins booted seven goals but Lions Coach Chris Fagan said the team's defensive faults, rather than the backman's, allowed the big Cat to dominate."
- 2018 Dinny Navaratnam, Andrews will learn from experience: Fagan Brisbane Lions, 30 July 2018. Accessed 6 August 2018.
Usage notes
- The use of “man” (compare Old English: mann, wer, wīf) to mean both “human (of any gender)” and “adult male”, which developed after Old English’s distinct term for the latter (wer) fell out of use, has been criticized since at least the second half of the twentieth century.[2] Critics claim that the use of “man”, both alone and in compounds, to denote a human or any gender “is now often regarded as sexist or at best old-fashioned”,[2] “flatly discriminatory in that it slights or ignores the membership of women in the human race”.[3] The American Heritage Dictionary wrote that in 2004 75-79% of their usage panel still accepted sentences with generic man, and 86-87% accepted sentences with man-made.[4] Some style guides recommend against generic “man”,[5] and “although some editors and writers reject or disregard [...] objections to man as a generic, many now choose instead to use” human, human being or person instead.[3]
- This generic usage is still preserved in certain dialects, pidgins, and creoles of English, as well as fixed expressions and certain religious documents and declarations such as the Nicene Creed (e.g. "...for us men and our salvation..."). Consideration of this has sometimes led to accusations of the critics of the generic man as enforcing linguistic prescriptivism.
- See also the man
Synonyms
- (adult male human): male; omi (Polari); see more at Thesaurus:man
- (person): human, person, see more at Thesaurus:person
- (board game piece): see Thesaurus:board game piece
Derived terms
- airman
- anchor man
- as one man
- a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle
- bad man
- barman
- behind every successful man there stands a woman
- best man
- black man
- caveman
- common man
- company man
- con man
- crossbowman
- dead man
- dead men's shoes
- dirty old man
- Earthman
- family man
- fireman
- fisherman
- fogman
- foreman
- frogman
- frontman
- gentleman
- government man
- headman
- hitman
- hype man
- it's a man's world
- kept man
- lady's man
- lookout man
- -man
- man among men
- man and boy
- manbote
- man date
- manface
- man Friday
- manful
- manhood
- mankind
- manlet
- manly
- man-mark
- mannish
- man of action
- man of God
- man of science
- man of the cloth
- man of the people
- man of the world
- man of war
- man on
- manpower
- manred
- manship
- man's man
- mantrap, man-trap, man trap
- Marlboro Man
- merman
- mountain man
- old man
- once a man, twice a child
- one-man band
- overman
- pan man
- policeman
- railwayman
- renaissance man
- right-hand man
- seaman
- second man
- sectionman
- see a man about a dog
- sideman
- signalman
- snowman
- straight man
- straw man
- strong man
- stunt man
- the man
- to a man
- towerman
- underman
- waterman
- white man
- wild man
- woman
- wombman
- yes-man
- See also Category:English words suffixed with -man
Related terms
Descendants
See also descendants of -man.
Translations
See also
- Old English: mann, wer, wīf.
Interjection
man
- Used to place emphasis upon something or someone; sometimes, but not always, when actually addressing a man.
- Man, that was a great catch!
- 2019 August 15, Bob Stanley, “'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on – all 38 discs”, in The Guardian:
- The 19 meandering minutes of Dark Star are attractive enough but, man, they go on, while poor Creedence Clearwater Revival – headliners, with Bad Moon Rising still in the charts – are watching the clock tick in the wings.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:man.
Translations
Pronoun
man
- (MLE, slang, personal pronoun) Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; construed in the third person.
- 2011, Top Boy:
- Sully: If it weren’t for that snake ... Man wouldn’t even be in this mess right now.
- 2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:
- before I got arrested man paid for my own ticket to go Jamaica you know . but I’ve never paid to go on no holiday before this time I paid (Dexter, MLE)
- 2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings
- Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken.
- 2011, Top Boy:
- (MLE, slang, indefinite personal pronoun) Any person, one
- c1450, Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus
- He was of all colours Þat man may se of flours Be-twene Mydsomer and May.
- 2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, pages 609:
- I don’t really mind how . how my girl looks if she looks decent yeah and there’s one bit of her face that just looks mashed yeah . I don’t care it’s her personality man’s looking at (Alex, Multicultural London English corpus [MLE])
- c1450, Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus
Usage notes
The usage of man as pronoun originally died out in the 15th century. It has independently reappeared in Multicultural London English. There it is most commonly used as a first person pronoun or as an indefinite personal pronoun, but uses in the second and third person are also attested.[1]
Etymology 2
From Middle English mannen, from Old English mannian, ġemannian (“to man, supply with men, populate, garrison”), from mann (“human being, man”). Cognate with Dutch bemannen (“to man”), German bemannen (“to man”), Danish bemande (“to man”), Swedish bemanna (“to man”), Icelandic manna (“to supply with men, man”).
Verb
man (third-person singular simple present mans, present participle manning, simple past and past participle manned)
- (transitive) To supply (something) with staff or crew (of either sex).
- The ship was manned with a small crew.
- (transitive) To take up position in order to operate (something).
- Man the machine guns!
- (reflexive, possibly dated) To brace (oneself), to fortify or steel (oneself) in a manly way. (Compare man up.)
- 1876, Julian Hawthorne, Saxon Studies:
- he manned himself heroically
- (transitive, obsolete) To wait on, attend to or escort.
- (transitive, obsolete, chiefly falconry) To accustom (a raptor or other type of bird) to the presence of people.
Translations
References
- Jenny Cheshire (2013), “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, issue 5, page 608-33
- “man”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
- “man”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- American Heritage Dictionary, 5th edition
- Purdue OWL
Further reading
- "man" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 188.
Man (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Man in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
Abinomn
Afrikaans
Etymology
From Dutch man, from Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-Germanic *mann.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
Audio (file)
Usage notes
- The normal plural in contemporary Afrikaans is mans. The form manne now usually refers to the members of a male group, such as a group of friends or a team or unit. Compare:
- Vroue en mans moet gelyke regte hê. ― Women and men must have equal rights.
- Die manne het goed gespeel vandag. ― The men played well today.
Albanian
Alternative forms
- Tosk: mën
- Gheg: mand, mandë
Etymology
Syncopated form of Gheg mand, from Proto-Albanian *manta. Compare Ancient Greek βάτος (bátos, “bramble”), said by Beekes to be a Mediterranean wanderwort, and μαντία (mantía, “blackberry”) (Dacian loan).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
Hyponyms
- man i bardhë (“white mulberry”) (Morus alba)
- man i kuq (“red mulberry”) (Morus rubra)
- man i zi (“black mulberry”) (Morus nigra)
- man toke (“wild strawberry”) (Fragaria vesca)
Arigidi
References
- B. Oshodi, The HTS (High Tone Syllable) in Arigidi: An Introduction, in the Nordic Journal of African Studies 20(4): 263–275 (2011)
Bonggo
References
- George W. Grace, Notes on the phonological history of the Austronesian languages of the Sarmi Coast, in Oceanic Linguistics (1971, 10:11-37)
Caló
Cebuano
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈman/, [ˈman̪]
Particle
man
- gives information; could be omitted
- (Person 1): Hain man si Pedro?
(Person 2): Tua man 'to siya sa Carcar- (Person 1): Where is Pedro?
(Person 2): He is/was there in Carcar
- (Person 1): Where is Pedro?
- contradicts a previous statement or presumption; usually with the particle ugod/gud
- (Person 1): Hain man si Pedro?
(Person 2): Tua siya sa Carcar
(Person 3 responding to person 2): Tua man gud siya sa Cebu- (Person 1): Where is Pedro?
(Person 2): He is in Carcar
(Person 3): No, he's in Cebu
- (Person 1): Where is Pedro?
- makes a question not abrupt
- Hain man si Pedro?
- Where is Pedro?
Could you tell me where Pedro is?
- Where is Pedro?
Chinese
Alternative forms
Adjective
man
- (slang) manly; masculine
- 而從審美的角度來看,李隆基絕對與美男子三個字無緣,但他卻有種很man的味道,吸引著女人的目光 [MSC, trad.]
- From: 2006, 狐千月, 《大俠,跟我回現代》
- Ér cóng shěnměi de jiǎodù lái kàn, Lǐ Lóngjī juéduì yǔ měinánzǐ sān ge zì wúyuán, dàn tā què yǒu zhǒng hěn man de wèidào, xīyǐn zhe nǚrén de mùguāng [Pinyin]
- From the perspective of esthetics, Li Longji definitely has nothing to do with the word handsome, but he still has that hint of manliness, attracting women to look
而从审美的角度来看,李隆基绝对与美男子三个字无缘,但他却有种很man的味道,吸引着女人的目光 [MSC, simp.]- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:man.
Chinook Jargon
Synonyms
Antonyms
Chuukese
Cimbrian
Etymology
From Middle High German man, from Old High German man, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
References
- Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien
Czech
Etymology
From Old Czech man, from Middle High German and Old High German man.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈman]
- Hyphenation: man
Declension
Derived terms
- manský
- manství
Danish
Etymology 1
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō (“mane”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maːˀn/, [mæˀn]
Noun
Inflection
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/, [man]
Pronoun
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maːˀn/, [ˈmæˀn]
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑn/
- Hyphenation: man
- Rhymes: -ɑn
Noun
man m (plural mannen or man or mans, diminutive mannetje n or manneke n or manneken n)
Usage notes
- The normal plural is mannen. The unchanged form man is used after numerals only; it refers to the size of a group rather than a number of individuals. For example: In totaal verloren er 5000 man hun leven in die slag. (“5000 men altogether lost their lives in that battle.”) The plural mans is dated, now mostly occurring in nautical contexts or in dialect.
- Compound words with -man as their last component often take -lieden or -lui in the plural, rather than -mannen. For example: brandweerman (“firefighter”) → brandweerlieden (alongside brandweerlui and brandweermannen).
- Various alternative diminutives exist, including manneke (used especially in Flanders) and the dialectal mannechie.
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
Faroese
Derived terms
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑ̃/
Determiner
man n (singular, plural mes)
- (gender-neutral, neologism) my
- Man colocataire a fait son coming out non-binaire.
- My roommate came out as non-binary.
Related terms
Possessee | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | |||||
Possessor | Singular | First person | mon1 | ma | mes | |
Second person | ton1 | ta | tes | |||
Third person | son1 | sa | ses | |||
Plural | First person | notre | nos | |||
Second person | votre2 | vos2 | ||||
Third person | leur | leurs |
- 1 Also used before feminine adjectives and nouns beginning with a vowel or mute h.
- 2 Also used as the polite singular form.
Further reading
- “man”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Galician
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old Galician and Old Portuguese mão, from Latin manus. Cognate with Portuguese mão and Spanish mano.
Derived terms
References
- “mão” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
- “mãao” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
- “man” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
- “man” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
- “man” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
- (Austria)
(file) - Rhymes: -an
- Homophone: Mann
Etymology 1
From Middle High German man, from Old High German man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”).
Pronoun
man
- one, you (indefinite pronoun; construed as a third-person singular)
- Man kann nicht immer kriegen, was man will.
- You can’t always get what you want.
- Manchmal muss man Kompromisse machen.
- Sometimes one must compromise.
- 2008, Frank Behmeta, Wenn ich die Augen öffne, page 55:
- Kann man es fühlen, wenn man schwanger ist?
- Can one feel that one is pregnant?
- they, people (people in general)
- Zumindest sagt man das so...
- At least that’s what they say...
- someone, somebody (some unspecified person)
- they (some unspecified group of people)
Usage notes
- Man is used in the nominative case only; for the oblique cases forms of the pronoun einer are used. For example: Man kann nicht immer tun, was einen glücklich macht. — One cannot always do what makes one happy.
- Since man derives from the same source as Mann (“man; male”), its use is considered problematic by some feminists. They have proposed alternating man and the feminine neologism frau, or using the generic neologism mensch. This usage has gained some currency in feminist and left-wing publications, but remains rare otherwise.
- In the sense of “someone,” man is often translated using the passive voice (“I was told that...” rather than “someone told me that...”).
Etymology 2
From Middle Low German man. A contraction of Old Saxon newan (“none other than”). Compare a similar contraction in Dutch maar (“only”).
Adverb
man
- (colloquial, regional, Northern Germany) just; only
- Komm man hier rüber!
- Just come over here!
- Das sind man dreißig Stück oder so.
- These are only thirty or so.
Further reading
- “man” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “man (jemand, irgendeiner, irgendeine)” in Duden online
- “man (adverb)” in Duden online
German Low German
Etymology
From Middle Low German man. A contraction of Old Saxon newan (“none other than”). Compare a similar contraction in Dutch maar (“only”).
Gothic
Icelandic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/, [maːn]
- Rhymes: -aːn
Etymology 1
From Old Norse man, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (with unstressed prefix *ga-).
Noun
Declension
Synonyms
- (female slave): ambátt
Derived terms
- mansal
- mansmaður
Etymology 2
From mana (“to dare [someone] [to do something]”).
Noun
man n (genitive singular mans, no plural)
- the act of daring someone to do something; provocation, dare
Declension
Etymology 3
Appears in Guðbrandur Þorláksson’s 1584 Bible translation. Borrowed from German Man (in Luther’s 1534 German Bible), from Hebrew מן (mān, “manna”).
Noun
man n (indeclinable)
- (biblical, obsolete) manna
- 1584, Guðbrandur Þorláksson (translator), “Exodus. Aunnur Bok Moſe”, in Biblia, Þad Er Øll Heiloͤg Ritning vtloͤgd a Norrænu, Hólar: Jón Jónsson, chapter 16, verse 33, page 76:
- Og Moſes ſegde til Aaron / Tak þier eina Føtu / og legg eirn Gomor fullan af Man þar i / og lꜳt þad vardueitaſt fyrer DROTTNI til ydar ep[t]erkomande Kynkuijſla
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
Synonyms
- (manna): manna
Verb
man
References
- “man” in: Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, 1st edition, 2nd printing (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans.
Lithuanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [man]
Lombard
Luxembourgish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maːn/
Mandarin
Romanization
man
Usage notes
- English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Inflection
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Derived terms
- general:
- manachtich
- manatich
- manbaer
- manboete
- manbrief
- manbrugge
- mancamer
- mancosten
- mandeel
- mandelijc
- mandelike
- mandiet
- maneet
- manesse
- mangedinge
- mangelt
- manheit
- manhovet
- manhuus
- manleen
- manlijc
- manlike
- mannenclooster
- manordeel
- manpat
- manpersone
- mansc
- manscap
- manscracht
- mansgeboorte
- mansgelient
- manshalven
- manslacht
- manslijf
- mansoene
- mansoor
- mansstat
- mansstoel
- manssurcoot
- manswerde
- mantale
- mantrouwe
- manvolc
- manwaerheit
- persons:
- ackerman
- ambachtsman
- amman
- amtman
- arman
- beierman
- beleitsman
- belleman
- besetman
- blindeman
- boomgaertman
- borchman
- bouman
- bovenman
- buurman
- clockenman
- cloosterman
- cokenman
- condsman
- coolman
- coopman
- cornman
- dadingesman
- deelman
- dienstman
- dorpman
- druutsman
- edelman
- eigenman
- gelagesman
- geleitsman
- gemeentman
- goetman
- grietman
- hancman
- hantwercman
- hartman
- heidman
- hofman
- houtman
- hovetman
- humpelman
- huurman
- huusman
- huwelijxman
- iserman
- joncman
- keersman
- kercman
- kerstijnman
- lantman
- lasersman
- ledichman
- leecman
- leenman
- leitsman
- lijcman
- lochtincman
- loosman
- lootsman
- maecsman
- maelman
- manbode
- manboort
- mansman
- mansname
- manwijf
- mateman
- medeman
- meesterman
- merseman
- metselman
- meyerman
- molenman
- moorman
- muurman
- naerman
- naman
- norman
- offerman
- operman
- orlogesman
- ouderman
- outman
- overman
- pachtman
- panneman
- parreman
- partiësman
- pensman
- ploechman
- raetman
- ridderman
- rijcman
- sacman
- schaecman
- schimman
- schipman
- schotman
- schuteman
- seeman
- segsman
- sledeman
- soutman
- speelman
- stalman
- statman
- sterfman
- stuerman
- susterman
- swertman
- taelman
- talicman
- teelman
- tijnsman
- timmerman
- tolman
- torfman
- tugesman
- turcman
- uteman
- vaerman
- vedelman
- veenman
- veerman
- veilichsman
- velleman
- veltman
- vindman
- voerman
- voetman
- vogelman
- vogetman
- voreman
- vrachtman
- vrecman
- vremtman
- vroetman
- waerman
- waernsman
- waerstman
- wagenman
- wantcoopman
- warmoesman
- wechman
- wederman
- wedman
- weduwenman
- weetman
- wercman
- wertman
- wijngaertman
- wijnman
- wijsman
- wildeman
- wouterman
Further reading
- “man”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “man (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English man (“one, a person”).
References
- “man, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 June 2018.
- “men, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 June 2018.
Miskito
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
Norman
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
North Frisian
Etymology
From Old Frisian mīn, from Proto-West Germanic *mīn.
Northern Sami
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 2
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑːn/
- Rhymes: -ɑːn
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Old Dutch
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Inflection
Derived terms
Old English
Etymology 1
From mann.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑn/
Pronoun
man
- one, you (indefinite pronoun; construed as a third-person singular)
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The First Sunday in September, When Job Is Read"
- Man sċeal lǣwedum mannum seċġan be heora andġietes mǣðe, swā þæt hīe ne bēon þurh þā dēopnesse ǣmōde ne þurh þā langsumnesse ǣþrȳtte.
- You have to talk to laymen based on how much they understand, so they're not intimidated by the depth of what you're saying or bored by how long it is.
- c. 992, Ælfric, "Dedication of the Church of St. Michael"
- Sē hrōf ēac swelċe hæfde mislīċe hēanesse: on sumre stōwe hine man meahte mid hēafde ġerǣċan, on sumre mid handa earfoþlīċe.
- The height of the roof was also uneven: you could touch one part of it with the top of your head, and barely reach another part with your hand.
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The First Sunday in September, When Job Is Read"
- they, people (people in general)
- someone, somebody (some unspecified person)
- they (some unspecified group of people)
- often used where modern English would use the passive voice
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy
- Hine man sċeal lǣdan tō þām lǣċe.
- He should be taken to the doctor.
- Early 11th century, Wulfstan, "On the Beginning of Creation"
- Þā sē Hǣlend ċild wæs, eall hine man fēdde swā man ōðru ċildru fētt. Hē læġ on cradole bewunden, ealswā ōðru ċildru dōþ. Hine man bær oþ hē self gān meahte.
- When Jesus was a baby, he was fed just like other babies are fed. He lay wrapped up in a cradle, just like other babies do. He was carried until he could walk by himself.
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy
Etymology 2
See mann.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑnn/, [mɑn]
Etymology 3
From Proto-Germanic *mainą.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑːn/
Old High German
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Descendants
- Middle High German: man
- Alemannic German: ma, mà, Maa, Mann, Mànn, mo, ma'
- Swabian: Ma, Mâ, Mô, Mâo, Mâu
- Bavarian: mon, mònn, moon, ma'
- Central Franconian:
- Hunsrik: Mann
- East Central German:
- Silesian German: Moan
- German: Mann, man
- Luxembourgish: Mann
- Transylvanian Saxon: Mouen, Mäun
- Rhine Franconian:
- Pennsylvania German: Mann
- Yiddish: מאַן (man)
- Alemannic German: ma, mà, Maa, Mann, Mànn, mo, ma'
Old Norse
Etymology
Probably from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“fellow human”)
Noun
man n (genitive mans, plural mǫn)
- household, house-folk, bondslaves
- bondwoman, female slave
- woman, maid
- 900-1100, The Alvíssmál, verse 7:
- Sáttir þínar er ek vil snemma hafa
ok þat gjaforð geta;
eiga vilja heldr en án vera
þat it mjallhvíta man.- Quickly will I have your agreement
and win the word of marriage;
I would rather own than be without
that pale maid.
- Quickly will I have your agreement
- 900-1100, The Alvíssmál, verse 7:
Declension
Derived terms
- mankynni n pl
- mansal n
- mansmaðr m
Descendants
- Icelandic: man
Old Occitan
Descendants
- Occitan: man
References
- von Wartburg, Walther (1928–2002), “manus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 61, page 285
Old Saxon
Old Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈman/
Noun
man f (plural manes)
- morning
- c. 1200: Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 18r.
- Fue el dia ṫcero al alba dela man. ¬ vinẏerȯ truenos ¬ relȧpagos ¬ nuf grȧt ſobrel mȯt.
- It was the early morning of the third day, and there came thunder and flashes of lightning and a great cloud upon the mountain.
- Fue el dia ṫcero al alba dela man. ¬ vinẏerȯ truenos ¬ relȧpagos ¬ nuf grȧt ſobrel mȯt.
- c. 1200: Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 18r.
Romani
Sambali
Saterland Frisian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
- Hyphenation: man
- Rhymes: -an
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Middle Low German man. Related to German Low German man and Swedish men.
Etymology 2
From an unstressed variant of Old Frisian mon (“man”). Compare Dutch men and German man.
Pronoun
man
- one, they
- 2000, Marron C. Fort, transl., Dät Näie Tästamänt un do Psoolme in ju aasterlauwerfräiske Uurtoal fon dät Seelterlound, Fräislound, Butjoarlound, Aastfräislound un do Groninger Umelounde [The New Testament and the Psalms in the East Frisian language, native to Saterland, Friesland, Butjadingen, East Frisia and the Ommelanden of Groningen], →ISBN, Dät Evangelium ätter Matthäus 1:23:
- Sjooët, n Maiden skäl n Bäiden undfange, n Súun skäl ju uurwinne, un man skäl him dän Nome Immanuel reke, dät hat uursät: God is mäd uus.
- Behold, a virgin shall become pregnant with a child, she will give birth to a son, and they shall give him the name Immanuel, which is translated: God is with us.
Related terms
- Mon (“man, husband”)
References
- Marron C. Fort (2015), “man”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN
Scottish Gaelic
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈman/, [ˈmãn]
Noun
man m (plural men)
- (Latin America, colloquial) man, guy, dude
- Synonyms: tipo, tío; see also Thesaurus:tío
- 2017, “Bella”, performed by Wolfine:
- Me dijeron que andabas un poco triste / Que te pusiste a beber y con un man por ahí te fuiste
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
Further reading
- “man”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Sranan Tongo
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/, /maŋ/
Verb
man
- to be able to
- A man no ben man taki. ― The man could not speak.
- 1984, “Nioni”, in Telefôn' mi koe mi koenoe, performed by The Exmo Stars & Boogie:
- Te yu no man fu tyari akata / yu no mu trobi matuku
- If you aren't able to carry a headpad / you shouldn't bother with a basket
Sumerian
Swedish
Etymology 1
From Old Swedish maþer, mander, from Old Norse maðr, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
audio (file)
Noun
man m
- man (adult male human)
- En man går på gatan.
- A man walks on the street.
- Ungefär hundra män deltog i loppet.
- Around one hundred men took part in the race.
- I äldre tider sa man att björnen ägde sju mans styrka men en mans vett.
- In older times, they said the bear has the strength of seven men but the sense of one man.
- husband
- Vi går till caféet med våra män.
- We go to the café with our husbands.
- a member of a crew, workforce or (military) troop
- Vi var sjuttio man som slet i gruvan.
- We were seventy men who toiled in the mine.
Declension
Declension of man 1, 2, 3 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | man | mannen | män | männen |
Genitive | mans | mannens | mäns | männens |
Declension of man 3 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | man | mannen | mannar, man | mannarna |
Genitive | mans | mannens | mannars, mans | mannarnas |
Derived terms
|
|
|
|
See also
(husband): make, gemål
Usage notes
(adult male human): The unchanged plural man is sometimes used after numerals. It means "men" as a measure for size or strength of a group rather than individuals:
- Med tre man kan vi lyfta byrån ― With three people we can lift the cupboard
- Military or police personnel, team members, demonstrators and the like are often counted using this unchanged plural. The same goes with German where Mann can have an unchanged plural form in this particular case.
(husband): Not used in other contexts, where could be confused with a man in general.
Declension
See Template:sv-decl-ppron for more pronouns.
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Old Swedish man, from Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmɑːn/
Tarpia
References
- George W. Grace, Notes on the phonological history of the Austronesian languages of the Sarmi Coast, in Oceanic Linguistics (1971, 10:11-37)
Tok Pisin
Noun
man
- man (adult male human)
Adjective
man
Antonyms
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [maːn˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [maːŋ˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [maːŋ˧˧]
- Homophone: mang
Etymology 1
Sino-Vietnamese word from 瞞 (“to lie”). Also compare 謾 (“to deceive”).
Etymology 2
Sino-Vietnamese word from 蠻 (“barbarian; unreasonable”).
Derived terms
Etymology 3
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 萬 (“ten thousand”, SV: vạn). Doublet of muôn and vạn.
Derived terms
- cơ man (“multitude; myriad”)
Volapük
Etymology
Borrowed from the descendants of Proto-West Germanic *mann.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [man]
Declension
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
- dolafulaman
- lüodaman
- manadigöf
- manafied
- manageilot
- manageilotik
- manajit
- manaklot
- manaklotem
- manalien (tribütabima)
- manalunot
- manamod
- manamodo
- mananam
- mananäm
- manapenät
- manapörträt
- mandragoramanil
- manef
Welsh
Etymology 1
From Middle Welsh mann, from Proto-Celtic *mendus (“mark, location”), from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (“physical defect, fault”), same source as Old Irish mennar (“blemish, stain”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /man/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -an
Mutation
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
man | fan | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Etymology 2
Possibly from Latin menda (“defect, blemish, mistake”), from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (“physical defect, fault”). See Old Irish mennar (“blemish, stain”).
Mutation
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
man | fan | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Mutation
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
man | fan | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “man”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
- Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 264
West Frisian
Etymology
From Old Frisian man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɔn/
Noun
Westrobothnian
Etymology
From Old Norse meðan, from Proto-Germanic *medanō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [mɑ̀ːn] (example of pronunciation)
- Rhymes: -ɑ̀ːn, -èːðan
Wolof
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Yola
Etymology
From Middle English man, from Old English mann, from Proto-West Germanic *mann.
References
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 55
Zealandic
Etymology
From Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.