man
Translingual Edit
Symbol Edit
man
English Edit
Pronunciation Edit
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /mæn/
- (/æ/ raising) 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 Edit
From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- m, from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of Manu.
Alternative forms Edit
- (singular): mang (dialectal rendering, suggesting a Spanish accent), mane (dialectal rendering, suggesting an AAVE 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 Edit
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, [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:
- “ […] 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.
- A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult. (See usage notes.)
- every man for himself
- c. 1596–1599 (date written), 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, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- […] a man cannot make him laugh.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 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; republished as Geoffrey Keynes, edited by John Sparrow, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: […], Cambridge: At the University Press, 1923, →OCLC, page 98, lines 2–3:
- 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.
- 1793 August, Edmund Burke, “The Right Hon. Edmund Burke to the Comte de Mercy”, in Charles William [Wentworth-Fitzwilliam], [5th] Earl Fitzwilliam, Richard Bourke, editors, Correspondence of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke; Between the Year 1744, and the Period of His Decease, in 1797, volume IV, London: Francis & John Rivington, […], published 1844, pages 144–145:
- Without this help, such a deplorable havoc is made in the minds of men (both sexes) in France, still more than in the external order of things, and the evil is so great and spreading, that a remedy is impossible on any other terms.
- 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?
- (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[2], 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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, [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, (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.
- 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, 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, (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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, 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 backgammon.
- 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.
- 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."
- 2023 March 26, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport[3]:
- The second arrived three minutes later and was all Saka's own work, the Arsenal winger turning away from his man on the edge of the area and curling a superb effort beyond the reach of Anatoliy Trubin and into the top corner.
- 2018 Dinny Navaratnam, Andrews will learn from experience: Fagan Brisbane Lions, 30 July 2018. Accessed 6 August 2018.
Usage notes Edit
- 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 Edit
- (adult male human): omi (Polari); see more at Thesaurus:man
- (person): human, person, see more at Thesaurus:person
- (board game piece): see Thesaurus:board game piece
Coordinate terms Edit
Derived terms Edit
- 9-man
- Abraham-man
- Abraham man
- Abram man
- Abram-man
- account man
- action man
- ad-man
- a drowning man will clutch at a straw
- advance man
- affidavit man
- airman
- all-night-man
- all things to all men
- a man is known by the company he keeps
- anchor man
- are you a man or a mouse
- Aristophanic man
- as one man
- as the man said
- as the man says
- aw man
- a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle
- aye man
- bad man
- bag man
- barman
- barrow man
- batty man
- be a man
- behind every great man is a great woman
- behind every great man there stands a woman
- behind every successful man there stands a woman
- be one's own man
- best man
- be the bigger man
- big man
- big man on campus
- big man ting
- bin man
- black man
- body man
- bogey man
- boldly go where no man has gone before
- bottle man
- bottom man
- box man
- broken man
- bug-man
- business man
- bust-out man
- butter-and-egg man
- button man
- cable man
- candy man
- candy-man
- can man
- cat-man
- cat man
- caveman
- character man
- chi chi man
- cis man
- clothes don't make the man
- clothes maketh the man
- color man
- colour man
- common man
- company man
- confidence man
- conjure man
- con man
- corner man
- crazy man in the bottle
- crossbowman
- cunning man
- da man
- dead man
- dead man walking
- dead men
- dead men can tell no tales
- dead men's bells
- dead men's shoes
- dead men tell no tales
- delivery man
- dinner man
- dirty old man
- d-man
- dog man
- dollar-a-year man
- dope man
- dragon man
- Dragon man
- dunny man
- duty man
- duty-man
- Earthman
- eighth man
- eighth-man
- emergency man
- Essex man
- every man for himself
- every man for hisself
- every man has a price
- every man has his price
- every man is the architect of his own fortune
- every man Jack
- every man jack
- faceless man
- face man
- fall of man
- family man
- fancy man
- fellow man
- fetish-man
- fireman
- fisherman
- fogman
- footplate man
- foreman
- frogman
- front man
- frontman
- funny man
- garbage man
- gay man
- gentleman
- getaway man
- gingerbread man
- girly man
- give a man a fish
- give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
- G-man
- G-men
- God's gift to menmen
- government man
- grand old man
- gray man
- great man theory
- green man
- ground-man
- ground man
- hard man
- hatchet man
- head man
- headman
- Heidelberg man
- he-man
- herbivore man
- hitman
- hit man
- holy man
- homer man
- Homer man
- hoo man
- hype man
- inner man
- iron man
- it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God
- it's a man's world
- Java man
- kept man
- king's man
- kit man
- know someone from the man in the moon
- know someone from the man on the moon
- kurdaitcha man
- ladies man
- ladies' man
- lady's man
- last man standing
- leading man
- ledës-man
- leg man
- leopard man
- like a man
- like the man said
- like the man says
- little green man
- little man
- little man in the boat
- lizard man
- lollipop man
- lookie lookie man
- lookout man
- lover-man
- lover man
- macho man
- made man
- mad man
- main man
- make the bald man cry
- -man
- man about town
- man-about-town
- man alive
- man among men
- man and boy
- man and wife
- man ape
- man-arm
- man-at-arms
- man-bag
- man bag
- man-bird
- man bites dog
- man-boob
- man boob
- man-bot
- manbote
- man-boy
- man-bulge
- man bulge
- man bun
- man-bun
- man camp
- man-cart
- man catcher
- man cave
- man-child
- man child
- man crush
- man cunt
- man date
- man-day
- man day
- man down
- man-eater
- man-eating
- man engine
- manface
- man flu
- man-flu
- man Friday
- man from Porlock
- manful
- man goo
- man-handle
- man ho
- manhood
- man-hour
- man hug
- man in black
- man in motion
- man-in-the-browser
- man in the middle
- man in the mirror
- man in the moon
- man in the street
- man in white
- man is a wolf to man
- man is the measure of all things
- man juice
- man-killer
- mankind
- manlet
- man lift
- manly
- man-machine
- man-made fiber
- man magnet
- man management
- man-mark
- man-marker
- man-marking
- man-meat
- man-midwife
- man-milk
- man milk
- man-month
- man-mountain
- manners maketh man
- mannish
- man of action
- man of few words
- man of God
- man of Kent
- man of law
- man of letters
- man of means
- man of parts
- man of science
- man of sin
- man of straw
- man of the cloth
- man-of-the-earth
- man of the frock
- man of the hour
- man of the match
- man of the moment
- man of the people
- man of the world
- man of war
- man-of-war
- man on
- man on the Bondi tram
- man on the Clapham omnibus
- man on the moon
- man on the street
- man orchid
- man overboard
- man-o'-war
- man o' war
- man-o'-war suit
- man page
- man-pain
- man panties
- man plans and God laughs
- man-portable
- manpower
- man pussy
- man-pussy
- man-rate
- manred
- man-scape
- man-scaper
- man-scaping
- man shall not live by bread alone
- manship
- man-size
- man-sized
- man's man
- man-stealer
- man talk
- man the fort
- man-tiger
- man tit
- man-to-man
- man-to-man defense
- mantrap, man-trap, man trap
- man-whore
- man whore
- man-witch
- man with no name
- man with the ax
- man-wolf
- man-year
- Marlboro man
- Marlboro Man
- masked man fallacy
- medallion man
- medicine man
- men in blue ties
- men in white coats
- men's room
- men's studies
- men-stealer
- merman
- merry men
- middle man
- midsummer men
- minute man
- minute-man
- missing man formation
- mizen-top man
- mizzen-top man
- mod man
- money man
- monkey man
- moon-man
- mountain man
- muscle man
- my man
- nearly man
- new man
- night man
- night-man
- night soil man
- nine men's morris
- no-man
- no man
- no man is an island
- No Man's Heath
- odd man
- odd man out
- oh man
- old-man
- old man
- old man of the woods
- once a man, twice a child
- one-dollar man
- one-man
- one man and a dog
- one man and his dog
- one-man band
- one man band
- one minute man
- one-minute man
- organisation man
- organization man
- other man
- outside man
- overman
- pan man
- pants man
- party man
- Peking man
- pivot man
- pizza man
- plainclothes man
- play the ball and not the man
- play the ball not the man
- play the man
- play the man and not the ball
- play the man not the ball
- play the white man
- point man
- police man
- policeman
- poor man of mutton
- Portuguese man-of-war
- pot man
- prudent man rule
- rag-and-bone man
- railwayman
- rain man
- real men don't eat quiche
- recycle man
- Red Army man
- red man
- red man syndrome
- remainder-man
- re-man
- remittance man
- Renaissance man
- Renaissance man
- repo man
- resurrection man
- resurrection-man
- rewrite man
- Rhodesian man
- rich man
- right-hand man
- right man
- ring-man
- rule of man
- running man
- sack man
- Sallee-man
- sandwich-man
- sandwich man
- seal-man
- seaman
- second man
- second-storey man
- second-story man
- sectionman
- see a man
- see a man about a dog
- see a man about a horse
- setup man
- short man syndrome
- sick man
- sick man of Asia
- sick man of East Asia
- sick man of Europe
- sideman
- signalman
- sixth man
- small man syndrome
- snowman
- song man
- spade-man
- spade man
- spirit man
- spirit-man
- squaw man
- steely-eyed missile man
- stick it to the man
- stick man
- stone man syndrome
- straight man
- straw man
- strong man
- stunt man
- tall man
- tally-man
- target man
- tax man
- the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray
- the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry
- the man
- third man
- three-bottle man
- three wise men
- time and tide tarry for no man
- time and tide wait for no man
- tin man
- tithing-man
- T-man
- to a man
- towerman
- trans man
- trencher-man
- trigger man
- trotter-man
- twelfth man
- twelve good men and true
- two bald men fighting over a comb
- two men and a dog
- ugly man
- underman
- union man
- upright man
- utility man
- vigilance man
- waterman
- weed man
- wheel-barrow man
- whimsey man
- white man
- white van man
- wicker man
- widow's man
- wild man
- wild-man
- wild man syndrome
- wise man
- woman
- wombman
- world's fastest man
- yellow man
- yer man
- yes-man
- yes man
- you can't keep a good man down
- you man
- young man
- your man
Related terms Edit
Descendants Edit
See also descendants of -man.
- Tok Pisin: man
- → Cantonese: man
- → Chinook Jargon: man
- → Korean: 맨 (maen)
- → Mandarin: man (mān)
- → Spanish: man
- → Thai: แมน (mɛɛn)
- → Volapük: man
Translations Edit
See also Edit
- Old English: mann, wer, wīf.
Adjective Edit
man (not comparable)
- Only used in man enough
Interjection Edit
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[4]:
- 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 Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
- (MLE, slang, personal pronoun) Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; construed in the third person.
- man's got some new creps
- 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[5], 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 September 22, “Man's Not Hot”[6]performed by Big Shaq [Michael Dapaah]:
- The girl told me, "take off your jacket" / I said, "Babe, man's not hot" (never hot)
- 2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings:
- Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken.
- (MLE, slang, personal pronoun) You; construed in the third person.
- man thinks i was born yesterday
- 2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Nathan (Simon Manyonda):
- Oh, come on. Help a brother out. People see you coppin', might inspire them. Look, I know you ain't payin' bills right now. Man must have bare peas saved up.
- (MLE, slang, indefinite personal pronoun) Any person, one
- man don't care
- c. 1450, 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[7], volume 17, number 5, page 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])
Usage notes Edit
The usage of man as a 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 Edit
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 Edit
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.
- 2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 39:
- In Britain, nearly 2,500 steam locomotives were built, 999 to new designs. Although the latter were modern, they were still labour-intensive to man and maintain, during a period of full employment when working for poor pay in the dirty railway environment was unattractive.
- (transitive) To take up position in order to operate (something).
- Man the machine guns!
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick:
- ‘Avast!’ roared Ahab, dashing him against the bulwarks — ‘Man the boat! Which way heading?’
- (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.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit
Etymology 3 Edit
Proper noun Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
References Edit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jenny Cheshire (2013), “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics[1], volume 17, issue 5, pages 608–633
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 “man”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 “man”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary, 5th edition
- ^ Purdue OWL
Further reading Edit
- "man" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 188.
- Man (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Man in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
- “New definitions for "man" and "woman"” by Victor Mair in Language Log ()
Anagrams Edit
Abinomn Edit
Noun Edit
man
Afrikaans Edit
Etymology Edit
From Dutch man, from Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”).
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man (plural mans or manne, diminutive mannetjie)
Usage notes Edit
- 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 Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology Edit
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 Edit
Noun Edit
man m (plural mana, definite mani, definite plural manat)
Declension Edit
Hyponyms Edit
- 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)
Aragonese Edit
Etymology Edit
Akin to Spanish mano, from Latin manus.
Noun Edit
man f
Arigidi Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
- I, first person singular pronoun, as subject
References Edit
- B. Oshodi, The HTS (High Tone Syllable) in Arigidi: An Introduction, in the Nordic Journal of African Studies 20(4): 263–275 (2011)\
- Boluwaji Oshodi (December 2011) A Reference Grammar of Arigidi, Montem Paperbacks, →ISBN
Bagirmi Edit
Noun Edit
man
References Edit
- R. C. Stevenson, Bagirmi Grammar (1969)
Bariai Edit
Noun Edit
man
References Edit
- Steve Gallagher, Peirce Baehr, Bariai Grammar Sketch (2005)
Bikol Central Edit
Etymology Edit
Inherited from Proto-Philippine *man.
Pronunciation Edit
Adverb Edit
man (Basahan spelling ᜋᜈ᜔)
Particle Edit
man (Basahan spelling ᜋᜈ᜔)
- used to abate or soften the impacts of negatives and commands
- Dai man iyan ― It's nothing.
Bonggo Edit
Noun Edit
man
References Edit
- George W. Grace, Notes on the phonological history of the Austronesian languages of the Sarmi Coast, in Oceanic Linguistics (1971, 10:11-37)
Caló Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
- Contraction of mangue (“I, me”).
References Edit
Cebuano Edit
Etymology Edit
Inherited from Proto-Philippine *man. Compare Tagalog man.
Pronunciation Edit
Particle Edit
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 Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology Edit
Borrowed from English man, from Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- m, from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”).
Pronunciation Edit
Adjective Edit
man
- (informal) manly; masculine
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:man.
See also Edit
Chinook Jargon Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man
Synonyms Edit
Antonyms Edit
Adjective Edit
man
Antonyms Edit
Chuukese Edit
Noun Edit
man
- Alternative spelling of maan
Cimbrian Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle High German man, from Old High German man, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Noun Edit
man m (Tredici Comuni)
References Edit
- 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 Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Czech man, from Middle High German and Old High German man.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man m anim (feminine manka)
Declension Edit
Derived terms Edit
Further reading Edit
Danish Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō (“mane”).
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man c (singular definite manen, plural indefinite maner)
- (rare, used primarily by horse specialists) mane (longer hair growth on the back of the neck of a horse)
- Synonym: manke
Declension Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
The same word as the noun mand (“man”). Calque of German man.
Pronunciation Edit
Pronoun Edit
man (accusative en or én, possessive ens or éns)
- you, one, they, people (a general, unspecified person)
- I (used modestly instead of the first-person pronoun)
- you (used derogatorily instead of the second-person pronoun)
Etymology 3 Edit
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation Edit
Verb Edit
man
- imperative of mane
Dutch Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man m (plural mannen or man or mans, diminutive mannetje n or manneke n or manneken n)
- man, human male, either adult or age-irrespective
- De man liep rustig door het park.
- The man walked calmly through the park.
- De jonge mannen speelden voetbal op het veld.
- The young men were playing soccer on the field.
- De oudere man glimlachte vriendelijk naar de kinderen.
- The older man smiled kindly at the children.
- husband, male spouse
- Ze is al jaren gelukkig getrouwd met haar man.
- She has been happily married to her husband for years.
- Hij is een zorgzame man en een geweldige vader.
- He is a caring husband and a great father.
- Haar man verraste haar met een romantisch diner.
- Her husband surprised her with a romantic dinner.
Usage notes Edit
- 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 Edit
Related terms Edit
Descendants Edit
- Afrikaans: man
- Jersey Dutch: mān
- Negerhollands: man
- → Virgin Islands Creole: mani (dated)
- → Caribbean Javanese: mang
Anagrams Edit
Fala Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Galician-Portuguese mão, from Latin manus.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
References Edit
Faroese Edit
Verb Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
- tað man vera (so) - this may be (so)
- tað man óivað vera beinari - this will doubtless be more correct
Pronoun Edit
man
- (colloquial) one, they (indefinite third-person singular pronoun)
Synonyms Edit
- (standard): mann
French Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Determiner Edit
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 Edit
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.
See also Edit
Further reading Edit
- “man”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Friulian Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man m (plural mans)
Gaikundi Edit
Noun Edit
man
Further reading Edit
Galician Edit
Alternative forms Edit
- mão (reintegrationist spelling, lusista)
- mam (reintegrationist spelling)
- mao (central and eastern Galicia)
Etymology Edit
From Old Galician-Portuguese mão, from Latin manus. Cognate with Portuguese mão and Spanish mano.
Noun Edit
man f (plural mans)
Usage notes Edit
- Man is a false friend, and does not mean man. The Galician word for man is home.
Derived terms Edit
References Edit
- “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 Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Middle High German man, from Old High German man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“person”).
Pronoun Edit
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 Edit
- 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 Edit
From Middle Low German man. A contraction of Old Saxon newan (“none other than”). Compare a similar contraction in Dutch maar (“only”).
Adverb Edit
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 Edit
- “man” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “man (jemand, irgendeiner, irgendeine)” in Duden online
- “man (adverb)” in Duden online
German Low German Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle Low German man. A contraction of Old Saxon newan (“none other than”). Compare a similar contraction in Dutch maar (“only”).
Conjunction Edit
man
- (in many dialects, including Low Prussian) only; but
Synonyms Edit
Gothic Edit
Romanization Edit
man
- Romanization of 𐌼𐌰𐌽
Icelandic Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Old Norse man, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (with unstressed prefix *ga-).
Noun Edit
man n (genitive singular mans, nominative plural mön)
- (obsolete, uncountable, collective) slaves
- (archaic, countable) a female slave
- (archaic or poetic, countable) maiden
Declension Edit
Synonyms Edit
- (female slave): ambátt
Derived terms Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
From mana (“to dare [someone] [to do something]”).
Noun Edit
man n (genitive singular mans, no plural)
- the act of daring someone to do something; provocation, dare
Declension Edit
Etymology 3 Edit
Appears in Guðbrandur Þorláksson’s 1584 Bible translation. Borrowed from German Man (in Luther’s 1534 German Bible), from Hebrew מן (mān, “manna”).
Noun Edit
man n (indeclinable)
- (biblical, obsolete) manna
- 1584, “Exodus. Aunnur Bok Moſe”, in Guðbrandur Þorláksson, transl., Biblia, Þad Er Øll Heiloͤg Ritning vtloͤgd a Norrænu[9], 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 quotation)
Synonyms Edit
- (manna): manna
Etymology 4 Edit
Verb Edit
man
- first-person singular present indicative of muna; I remember
- Ég man ekki.
- I don't remember.
- third-person singular present indicative of muna; he/she/it remembers
- Hann man hvað gerðist.
- He remembers what happened.
References Edit
- “man” in: Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)
Istriot Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man m
Japanese Edit
Romanization Edit
man
Kapampangan Edit
Etymology Edit
From Proto-Philippine *man.
Pronunciation Edit
Adverb Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
Ladin Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man f (plural mans)
- (Gherdëina, Badiot, Fascian) hand
- Auzé la man ciancia.
- To lift the left hand.
- L ie na lëtra scrita a man.
- It's a letter written by hand.
- Dé na man
- To give a hand (to help)
Latvian Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
Ligurian Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man f (plural moæn)
Lithuanian Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Pronoun Edit
mán
Lombard Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man f (plural man)
Luxembourgish Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Verb Edit
man (third-person singular present meet, past participle gemat or gemeet, auxiliary verb hunn)
Mandarin Edit
Romanization Edit
man
- Nonstandard spelling of mān.
- Nonstandard spelling of mán.
- Nonstandard spelling of mǎn.
- Nonstandard spelling of màn.
Usage notes Edit
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Middle Dutch Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Noun Edit
man m
Inflection Edit
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Derived terms Edit
- 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
Descendants Edit
Further reading Edit
- “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 Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Old English man (“one, a person”).
Alternative forms Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
See also Edit
References Edit
- “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.
Etymology 2 Edit
Noun Edit
man
- Alternative form of mon (“man”)
Etymology 3 Edit
Verb Edit
man
- (Late Middle English) Alternative form of mone (“shall”)
Miskito Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
See also Edit
Norman Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Old French main, mein, man, from Latin manus (“hand”).
Noun Edit
man f (plural mans)
Etymology 2 Edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Adjective Edit
man (feminine ma)
- my (belonging to me)
Coordinate terms Edit
North Frisian Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Frisian mīn, from Proto-West Germanic *mīn.
Pronoun Edit
man m (feminine min, neuter min, plural min)
- (Föhr-Amrum) my
Northern Kurdish Edit
Verb Edit
man
Northern Sami Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
Norwegian Bokmål Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
Etymology 2 Edit
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man f or m (definite singular mana or manen, indefinite plural maner, definite plural manene)
- a mane (of a horse)
References Edit
Norwegian Nynorsk Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Noun Edit
man f (definite singular mana, indefinite plural maner, definite plural manene)
- mane (of a horse)
References Edit
- “man” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Occitan Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Occitan man, from Latin manus.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man f (plural mans)
Old Dutch Edit
Etymology Edit
From Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Noun Edit
man m
Inflection Edit
Derived terms Edit
Descendants Edit
Further reading Edit
- “man (I)”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
Old English Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From mann.
Pronunciation Edit
Pronoun Edit
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.
- One has to talk to laymen according to how much they understand, so they are not intimidated by the depth of what one is saying or bored by the length.
- 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. 897, Alfred the Great, translation of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care
- Hēr man mæġ ġīet ġesēon heora swaðu, ac wē him ne cunnon æfter spyrian.
- Here you can still see their footprints, but we don't know how to follow them.
- 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
- it
- c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
- Man ġeseah swelċe sē heofon burne.
- It looked like the sky was on fire.
- late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History
- Man ġeseah swelċe ān fȳren hring norðan cōme.
- It looked like a ring of fire was coming from the north.
- c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
Descendants Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
See mann.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man m
- Alternative form of mann
Declension Edit
Etymology 3 Edit
From Proto-Germanic *mainą.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
mān n
Derived terms Edit
Old High German Edit
Etymology Edit
From Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Noun Edit
man m
Declension Edit
case | singular | plural |
---|---|---|
nominative | man | manna |
accusative | man | manna |
genitive | mannes | manno |
dative | manne | mannum |
instrumental | mannu | — |
Descendants Edit
- Middle High German: man
- Alemannic German: ma, mà, Maa, Mann, Mànn, mo, ma'
- Bavarian: mon, mònn, moon, ma'
- Central Franconian:
- Hunsrik: Mann
- East Central German:
- Silesian East Central German: Moan
- German: Mann, man
- Luxembourgish: Mann
- Transylvanian Saxon: Mouen, Mäun
- Rhine Franconian:
- Pennsylvania German: Mann
- Yiddish: מאַן (man)
Old Norse Edit
Etymology Edit
Probably from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“fellow human”)
Noun Edit
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 Edit
Derived terms Edit
Descendants Edit
- Icelandic: man
References Edit
- Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic[12], Oxford: Clarendon Press
Old Occitan Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man f (oblique plural mans, nominative singular man, nominative plural mans)
- hand (anatomy)
Descendants Edit
- Occitan: man
References Edit
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “manus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 6/1: Mabile–Mephitis, page 285
Old Saxon Edit
Noun Edit
man m
- Alternative form of mann
Old Spanish Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
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.
- c. 1200: Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 18r.
Synonyms Edit
- mannana f
Papiamentu Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man
Romani Edit
Pronoun Edit
man
- accusative of me
Sambali Edit
Adverb Edit
man
Saterland Frisian Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
Borrowed from Middle Low German man. Related to German Low German man and Swedish men.
Conjunction Edit
man
Adverb Edit
man
Etymology 2 Edit
From an unstressed variant of Old Frisian mon (“man”). Compare Dutch men and German man.
Pronoun Edit
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 Edit
- Mon (“man, husband”)
References Edit
Scottish Gaelic Edit
Preposition Edit
man (+ nominative with the definite article, + dative otherwise, no mutation)
Spanish Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
- (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
- I heard you were feeling down / That you'd been drinking and took off with some guy
Further reading Edit
- “man”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Sranan Tongo Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
Verb Edit
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 and Boogie:
- Te yu no man fu tyari akata / yu no mu trobi matuku
- If you aren't able to carry a head pad / you shouldn't bother with a basket
Synonyms Edit
Sumerian Edit
Romanization Edit
man
- Romanization of 𒎙 (man)
Swedish Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Old Swedish maþer, mander, from Old Norse maðr, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
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.
- (slang, in the definite "mannen") man (usually friendly term of address)
- Jalla, mannen! ― Hurry up, man!
Usage notes Edit
(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 and Dutch where Mann and man can have an unchanged plural form in this particular case.
(husband): Not used in other contexts, where it could be confused with a man in general.
Declension Edit
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 Edit
- adelsman
- affärsman
- allvarsman
- amtman
- andreman
- attentatsman
- avundsman
- baneman
- bankman
- befallningsman
- bergsman
- besättningsman
- blåman
- bolagsman
- bombman
- borgensman
- bragdman
- brandman
- båtman
- båtsman
- danneman
- däcksman
- dödman
- engelsman
- exman
- fackman
- finansman
- fransman
- frontman
- fästman
- förman
- försteman
- försäkringsman
- förtroendeman
- gemene man
- giftoman
- god man
- granskningsman
- grodman
- grottman
- gråhårsman
- gudsman
- gärningsman
- hallåman
- handelsman
- hedersman
- hemmaman
- hemulsman
- hemvärnsman
- herreman
- hirdman
- hovman
- huvudman
- högerman
- i mannaminne
- idealman
- idrottsman
- illgärningsman
- indrivningsman
- industriman
- ingenmansland
- jungman
- justeringsman
- järnvägsman
- kameraman
- knivman
- kontaktman
- kvittningsman
- köpman
- lagman
- landsman
- lantman
- lebeman
- lekman
- linjeman
- länsman
- löftesman
- mandom
- manhaftig
- manlig
- mannakraft
- mannamod
- mansgris
- manskap
- manskör
- manspillan
- manssamhälle
- manstark
- medgärningsman
- medicinman
- motorman
- motståndsman
- målsman
- mörkerman
- mörkman
- norrman
- nämndeman
- odalman
- ogärningsman
- ombudsman
- ordningsman
- polisman
- pr-man
- på tu man hand
- radioman
- renlevnadsman
- revolverman
- rikeman
- riksdagsman
- rorsman
- rådman
- sagesman
- samarbetsman
- sambandsman
- sejdman
- serviceman
- sexman
- sjöman
- skiftesman
- skiljeman
- skogsman
- slagman
- speleman
- spelman
- språkman
- spåman
- statsman
- stigman
- stridsman
- studioman
- stuntman
- styrman
- syneman
- syssloman
- såningsman
- säkerhetsman
- talesman
- talman
- teaterman
- tidningsman
- tillsyningsman
- tillsynsman
- timmerman
- tjänsteman
- transman
- tredje man
- tullman
- tätman
- uppbördsman
- upphovsman
- upplysningsman
- vattuman
- vetenskapsman
- vildman
- våldtäktsman
- vällevnadsman
- vänsterman
- värderingsman
- världsman
- yrkesman
- ålderman
- ämbetsman
- änkeman
- örlogsman
- överman
See also Edit
Pronoun Edit
man c
- (indefinite) one, they; people in general
- så vitt man vet
- as far as one knows
Usage notes Edit
Does not sound formal the way English one might when substituted for you. Usually the only option in cases where both you and one might be used in English, as Swedish du (“you”) and ni (“you (plural)”) read more like "you, specifically."
Declension Edit
See Template:sv-decl-ppron for more pronouns.
Derived terms Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
From Old Swedish man, from Old Norse mǫn, from Proto-Germanic *manō.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man c
- mane (of a horse or lion)
Declension Edit
Declension of man | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | man | manen | manar | manarna |
Genitive | mans | manens | manars | manarnas |
References Edit
- man in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- man in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
- man in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
Anagrams Edit
Tagalog Edit
Etymology Edit
Inherited from Proto-Philippine *man.
Pronunciation Edit
Adverb Edit
man (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜈ᜔)
- even (implying extreme example)
- Hindi man lang siya tumawag.
- She did not even at least call.
- although; even if; even though
- even; also; too
Derived terms Edit
Further reading Edit
- “man”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018
Tarpia Edit
Noun Edit
man
References Edit
- 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 Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man
- man (adult male human)
Adjective Edit
man
Antonyms Edit
Derived terms Edit
Torres Strait Creole Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man
Venetian Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
man f (invariable)
Vietnamese Edit
Pronunciation Edit
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [maːn˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [maːŋ˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [maːŋ˧˧]
- Homophone: mang
Etymology 1 Edit
Sino-Vietnamese word from 瞞 (“to lie”). Also compare 謾 (“to deceive”).
Adjective Edit
man
- (only in compounds) dishonest; false; untruthful
Derived terms Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
Sino-Vietnamese word from 蠻 (“barbarian; unreasonable”).
Noun Edit
man
- (derogatory, chiefly in compounds) a savage; barbarian
Derived terms Edit
Etymology 3 Edit
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 萬 (“ten thousand”, SV: vạn). Doublet of muôn and vạn.
Numeral Edit
man
- (archaic) ten thousand; myriad
- một man ― ten thousand
Derived terms Edit
- cơ man (“multitude; myriad”)
Anagrams Edit
Volapük Edit
Etymology Edit
Borrowed from the descendants of Proto-West Germanic *mann.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
man (nominative plural mans)
- man (adult male human)
Declension Edit
Coordinate terms Edit
Derived terms Edit
- dolafulaman
- lüodaman
- manadigöf
- manafied
- manageilot
- manageilotik
- manajit
- manaklot
- manaklotem
- manalien (tribütabima)
- manalunot
- manamod
- manamodo
- mananam
- mananäm
- manapenät
- manapörträt
- mandragoramanil
- manef
- manik
- manil
- manisasen
- man maleditilik
- manüp
- man vönädaleguda
- miligaman
- pödaman
- pösod manik
- visoman
- vöd manik
Welsh Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
From Middle Welsh mann, from Proto-Celtic *mandu (“mark, location”), cognate to Old Irish mind (“crown”), and also related to Old Irish mennar (“blemish, stain”).
Noun Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
Etymology 2 Edit
Possibly from Latin menda (“defect, blemish, mistake”), from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (“physical defect, fault”). See Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information..
Noun Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
- speck; blemish
- stain
- distinguishing mark
- birthmark; mole
- pimple; spot
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. mascle
Etymology 3 Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information..
Noun Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. manna
- Synonym: manna
Mutation Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
References Edit
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), chapter man, in Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. (in Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
- Matasović, Ranko (2009) Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBNLua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information., Expression error: Unexpected < operator.?view=theater pages 264
West Frisian Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old Frisian man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
- man
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
- husband
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
Further reading Edit
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.”, in Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. (in Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.), 2011
Wik-Mungkan Edit
Noun Edit
man
Derived terms Edit
Wolof Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.Audio (file)
Pronoun Edit
man
- I (first-person singular subject pronoun)
See also Edit
singular subject | plural subject | singular object | plural object | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st person | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. |
2nd person | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. |
3rd person | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. | Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. |
Yola Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle English man, from Old English mann, from Proto-West Germanic *mann.
Noun Edit
man (plural mannes)
- man
- husband
- Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information.
References Edit
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information., London: J. Russell Smith, Lua error: not enough memory. See Wiktionary:Lua memory errors for more information. page 55
Zealandic Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle Dutch man, from Old Dutch man, from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-.
Noun Edit
man m (plural mannen)