unman

English

Etymology

From un- (“de-, dis-, away”) +‎ man (“male person”). Compare Dutch ontmannen, German entmannen, both “to unman, emasculate, castrate”.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈmæn/
• Rhymes: -æn

Verb

unman (third-person singular simple present unmans, present participle unmanning, simple past and past participle unmanned)

1. (transitive, archaic) To castrate; to remove the manhood of.
   • 1906, James George Frazer, Attis, Otis, Osiris, volume 1, page 264:

     He unmanned himself under a pine-tree and bled to death on the spot.

   Synonym: emasculate

2. (transitive, figurative) To sap (a person) of the strength, whether physical or emotional, required to deal with a situation.

   Synonym: emasculate

   • 1855, William Delafield Arnold, Oakfield: Or, Fellowship in the East, page 280:

     I hope to God his theories will not unman him in action, that he will not be musing and refining when he should be leading the Jacks […]

   • 1919, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 5, in A Damsel in Distress:

     He dressed moodily, and left the room to go down to breakfast. Breakfast would at least alleviate this sinking feeling which was unmanning him.

3. (transitive) To deprive of men.

Anagrams

• annum, nanmu

Welsh

Etymology

un (“one”) +‎ man (“place”)

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈɨ̞nman/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnman/
• Rhymes: -ɨ̞nman

Noun

unman m (uncountable)

1. a certain place
2. (in negative expressions) nowhere, anywhere

   Does unman yn debyg i adra.

   There is nowhere like home.

   Sa i ’di bod yn unman.

   I haven’t been anywhere.

   Synonyms: unlle, nunlle

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “unman”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies