Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mana

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Slavic

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Etymology

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Probably an n-extension of Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- (to manipulate; great, good), cognate with Latin mānēs (ancestral spirits), Latin manus (hand, mound). It is speculated that the initial meaning of the root is to make gesturesto manipulate (in Slavic) / to worship, pray (in Latin) → deception (in Slavic) / goodness (in Latin).

Despite the resemblance, a relation with Ancient Greek μανία (manía, madness) and Lithuanian mõnas (apparition) is doubtful. The later are usually derived from *men- (to mind).

Noun

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*manà f

  1. decoy, deception, trick
  2. ghost

Alternative forms

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Inflection

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • East Slavic:
    • Old East Slavic: манъ m (manŭ), мана f (mana)
  • West Slavic:
    • Polish: man (dialectal)

Further reading

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  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “мана”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1990), “*mana”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 17 (*lъžь – *matješьnъjь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 195