From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu.
Cognates
This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning.
Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted.
In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English):
:* Low German Mann
:* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon
:* Saterland Frisian Mon
:* Scots man
:* West Frisian man
:* Yola man
In the remainder of West Germanic:
:* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn
:* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn
:* Cimbrian man, mann, månn
:* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man
:* German and Luxembourgish Mann
:* Mòcheno mònn
:* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn
:* Yiddish מאַן (man)
In East Germanic:
:* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband”
In North Germanic:
:* Danish mand
:* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse
:* Gutnish and Swedish man
:* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann
:* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj
:* Old Norse maðr
Outside Germanic:
: Indo-Iranian:
::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”)
::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”)
::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya)
: Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard):
::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž)
::* Bulgarian мъж (măž)
::* Czech and Slovak muž
::* Macedonian маж (maž)
::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife)
::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž
::* Slovene mož
Meanings
Used to place emphasis upon something or someone; sometimes, but not always, when actually addressing a man.
"What happened to your eye?" she says.
"Ice pick, Bayonne, 1985," he says. "Any other questions?"
"Sorry, man, I was just asking." 2011, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, Penguin Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 160:
Man, that was a great catch!
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. 2019 August 15, Bob Stanley, “'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on – all 38 discs”, in The Guardian:
For quotations using this term, see Citations:man.
pl człowieku (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · hu öregem (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · et vau (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · pt cara (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · hi मानुस (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · et ai (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · et raisk (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · pl stary (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ro nene (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk йомана (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · it ragazzi (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · sh bre (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · sv wow (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk та (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · lou boug (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · es tío (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · hu öcsém (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · fi vitsi (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ru блин (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · pt meu (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · bg чове́к (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ta டேய் (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk блядь (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · pa ਮਨੁੱਖ (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · fr mec (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk тю (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ro coaie (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · fi vittu (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · hi मानस (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ru чёрт (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · th เพื่อน (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk бо́же (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · uk йо (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · de Mann (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · wa valet (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ro omule (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · gl meu (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · hu hallod (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · da mand (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · tr adamım (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · gl ho (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone) · ro tată (an interjection used to place emphasis upon something or someone)
From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu.
Cognates
This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning.
Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted.
In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English):
:* Low German Mann
:* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon
:* Saterland Frisian Mon
:* Scots man
:* West Frisian man
:* Yola man
In the remainder of West Germanic:
:* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn
:* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn
:* Cimbrian man, mann, månn
:* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man
:* German and Luxembourgish Mann
:* Mòcheno mònn
:* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn
:* Yiddish מאַן (man)
In East Germanic:
:* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband”
In North Germanic:
:* Danish mand
:* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse
:* Gutnish and Swedish man
:* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann
:* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj
:* Old Norse maðr
Outside Germanic:
: Indo-Iranian:
::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”)
::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”)
::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya)
: Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard):
::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž)
::* Bulgarian мъж (măž)
::* Czech and Slovak muž
::* Macedonian маж (maž)
::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife)
::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž
::* Slovene mož
Meanings
An adult male human.
“[…]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.” 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
“I want you to know that I hate you, that I think you are a cur, and that I'll never, never speak to you again. Oh, I don't dare to say what I think of you, you — man!” 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “A Wayside Comedy”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 75:
The show is especially popular with middle-aged men.
The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me. 1599 (date written), 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]:
(collective) An adult male human. ▸ All human males collectively: mankind.
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:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. 1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
An adult male human. ▸ An adult male who belongs to a particular group: an employee, a representative, etc.
When President Roosevelt goes walking in the country about Washington he is always accompanied by two Secret Service men. 1909, Harper's Weekly, volume 53, page iii:
"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. 1913, Robert Herrick, One Woman's Life, page 46:
An adult male human. ▸ An adult male who has, to an eminent degree, qualities considered masculine, such as strength, integrity, and devotion to family; a mensch.
He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house[…] 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:
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[…]. 2011, Timothy Shephard, Can We Help Us?: Growing Up Bi-Racial in America, →ISBN, page 181:
An adult male human. ▸ An adult or adolescent male servant. Anyone from a right-hand man (high-ranking assistant) to a low-ranking servant.
(dated, formal) A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult.
[…]a man cannot make him laugh. c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
every man for himself
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. c. 1700, Joseph Addison, Monaco, Genoa, &c., page 9:
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? 1991 edition (original: 1953), Darell Huff, How to Lie with Statistics, pages 19–20
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. 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:
Recompence to no man euill for euill. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:17:
No man is an Iland, intire of it ſelfe; euery man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […] 1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, pages 415–416:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. 1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
(collective, dated, formal) A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult. ▸ All humans collectively; mankind, humankind, humanity.
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. 1647, Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 10
This consideration must surely tell us that all living things were not made for man. Many of them have no relation to him. The cycle of their existence has gone on independently of his, and is disturbed or broken by every advance in man’s intellectual development; and their happiness and enjoyments, their loves and hates, their struggles for existence, their vigorous life and early death, would seem to be immediately related to their own well-being and perpetuation alone[.] 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 224:
We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man. 2021 January 20, Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb:
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. 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
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. 1991, Barry J. Blake, Australian Aboriginal Languages: A General Introduction, page 75:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. 1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens.
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:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. 1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
A male person, usually an adult; a (generally adult male) sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc.
There was a pair of burly dwarves – a woman and a man – bearing the markings of the formidable Thane Guards. 2014, Oisin McGann, Kings of the Realm: Cruel Salvation, Penguin UK, →ISBN:
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—[…] 2008, Christopher Paolini, Brisingr: Or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular - Inheritance Book Three, →ISBN, page 549:
For God is holde a ryghtwys man. c. 1500, “A Gest of Robyn Hode”, in Child Ballads:
God's a good 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]:
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. 1609 December (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (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):
(obsolete, uncommon, uncountable) Manliness; the quality or state of being manly.
Methought he bare himself in such a fashion, / So full of man, and sweetness in his carriage, /[…] 1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (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):
A husband.
In the next place, every wife ought to answer for her man. 1715, Joseph Addison, The Freeholder:
I pronounce that they are man and wife. 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:
A male lover; a boyfriend.
Stay away from my man!
Used as the last element of a compound. ▸ A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of or devoted to a specified kind of thing.
Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man.
Used as the last element of a compound. ▸ A person, usually male, who has duties or skills associated with a specified thing.
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.
He also owns the only backhoe tractor on Elbow Cay, so whenever anyone needs a cistern dug, he's their man. 2012, The Island Caper: A Jake Lafferty Action Novel, →ISBN, page 34:
"She's the man for the job." 2007, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night, →ISBN, page 553:
Joanie volunteered, of course — if any dirty job is on offer requiring running, she's your man — 2008, Soccer Dad: A Father, a Son, and a Magic Season, →ISBN, page 148:
(historical) A vassal; a subject.
all the king's men
Like master, like man.
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. 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:
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. c. 1700s, William Blackstone
A piece or token used in board games such as backgammon.
[…] a short analysis will undoubtedly convince the solver than the queen is the most likely man to make the keymove. The greatest difficulty undoubtedly will be in finding the second move continuations. 1961, Kenneth S. Howard, How to Solve Chess Problems, page 137:
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:
One of the player's chances to play, lost when the player's character dies or when certain mistakes are made.
Most machines are set to award you an extra man after 8000 points, and then after each additional 14.000 points. 1983, William Brohaugh, “Q*Bert: A player's guide”, in Video & Arcade Games, volume 1, number 2, page 31:
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!
Eternal Life is now on my trail / Got my red glitter coffin, man, just need one last nail / While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games / There's a flaming red horizon that screams our names / And as your fantasies are broken in two / Did you really think this bloody road would pave the way for you? / You better turn around and blow your kiss hello to life eternal, angel / Racist everyman, what have you done? / Man, you've made a killer of your unborn son / Crown my fear your king at the point of a gun / All I want to do is love everyone 1995, “Eternal Life”, in Grace (Hard Rock), performed by Jeff Buckley, United States:
A term of familiar address usually reserved for other adult males. It works both with ones whose name is known and ones whose name is unknown.
Hey, man, thanks for holding the door! [they don't know each other's name, and it doesn't matter]
Near-synonyms: my man, bro, brother
Hey, man, how's it goin'? I haven't seen you in months! [they know each other's name]
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."
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. 2023 March 26, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:
(slang) A soldier below the rank of a non-commissioned officer.
arc גַּבְרָא (adult male human) · dv އިންސާނުން (a human being) · aah aleman (adult male human) · ota ادم (adult male human) · sk človek (a human being) · orv мужь (adult male human) · hu figura (piece in board games) · krc эркегырыу (adult male human) · shi argaz (adult male human) · oc òmi (adult male human) · eve няри (adult male human) · akk 𒀀𒉿𒈝 (adult male human) · cst tá̄ris (adult male human) · gu પુરુષ (adult male human) · wau enoja (a human being) · fi pelinappula (piece in board games) · hak 男人 (adult male human) · ruq bărbat (adult male human) · frr mensk (a human being) · ady лӏы (adult male human) · sco mannie (adult male human) · vot inimin (a human being) · de Mensch (a human being) · cro bacheé (adult male human) · lb Mënsch (a human being) · my လူသား (a human being) · ps آدم (a human being) · ood cheoj (adult male human) · de Spielfigur (piece in board games) · so dad (a human being) · cs pán (adult male human) · yua wíinik (a human being) · fy minske (piece in board games) · lou nonm (adult male human) · egy z:A1*Z1 (adult male human) · kn ನರ (adult male human) · su pameget (adult male human) · ky эркек (adult male human) · ur آدْمی (a human being) · it uomo (a human being) · frr maan (adult male human) · hi मानुष (adult male human) · nia ndramatua (adult male human) · tl tao (a human being) · iu ᐊᖑᑦ (adult male human) · uz inson (a human being) · szl chop (adult male human) · su lalaki (adult male human) · th มนุษย์ (a human being) · pi มะนุสสะ (a human being) · hi मानस (a human being) · fr homme (a human being) · km មនុស្ស (a human being) · crh adam (adult male human) · crh insan (a human being) · lkt wičháša (adult male human) · lez итим (adult male human) · uz erkak kişi (adult male human) · vot meez (adult male human) · udm пиосмурт (adult male human) · liv mīez (adult male human) · cu ⱍⰾⱁⰲⱑⰽⱏ (a human being) · sa मनुष्य (a human being) · cop ⲣⲱⲙⲉ (adult male human) · kk адам (a human being) · ne मान्छे (a human being) · shu راجل (adult male human) · sh човјек (a human being) · hi आदमी (a human being) · sk ľudská bytosť (a human being) · fi nappula (piece in board games) · km ជន (a human being) · ur مَرْد (adult male human) · an homo (a human being) · mwl persona (a human being) · krl ihmini (a human being) · ms lelaki (adult male human) · sh čovek (adult male human) · lt žmogus (a human being) · it pedina (piece in board games) · sw mwanaume (adult male human) · nn brikke (piece in board games) · wym menś (a human being) · la vir (adult male human) · id manusia (a human being) · eu gizaki (a human being) · frr karmen (a human being) · ga duine (a human being) · pjt wati (adult male human) · mn эр хүн (adult male human) · kmr berik (piece in board games) · qu gari (adult male human) · rap tangata (adult male human) · hi मानस (adult male human) · fo menniskja (a human being) · fur omp (a human being) · nci oquichtli (adult male human) · xda kuri (a human being) · mn эрэгтэй хүн (adult male human) · pjt wati (a human being) · ne मानव (a human being) · az insan (a human being) · wao k'ew (adult male human) · pl człowiek (adult male human) · dsb muski (adult male human) · pdt Mensch (nds) (a human being) · syl ꠛꠦꠐꠣ (adult male human) · zh 男子 (adult male human) · iu ᐃᓄᒃ (a human being) · sce kun (a human being) · kl angut (adult male human) · xto oṅk (adult male human) · eo ŝakero (piece in board games) · apw indee (adult male human) · ru муж (adult male human) · ppl takat (a human being) · mhr айдеме (a human being) · mt uman (a human being) · nl pion (piece in board games) · bqi پیا (adult male human) · gmw-ecg Moan (adult male human) · olt žmuõ (adult male human) · trk-oat كشی (a human being) · mt raġel (adult male human) · eo viro (adult male human) · mi tangata (a human being) · ln motu (adult male human) · hsb muž (adult male human) · rm um (adult male human) · ckb مرۆڤ (a human being) · otk 𐰼 (adult male human) · ar نَاس (a human being) · kk кісі (adult male human) · evn иле (a human being) · ar رجل (adult male human) · uz erkak (adult male human) · ppl tacat (a human being) · cdo 男 (adult male human) · mnc ᡥᠠᡥᠠ (adult male human) · apd راجِل (adult male human) · aa núm (adult male human) · cop ⲣⲱⲙⲉ (adult male human) · kmr mêr (adult male human) · av бихьинчи (adult male human) · yur pegerk (adult male human) · sv karl (adult male human) · yo ènìyàn (a human being) · mwl home (adult male human) · be лю́дзі (a human being) · ia esser human (a human being) · ale tayaĝux̂ (adult male human) · kn ಮಾನವ (a human being) · fa مَشْیِه (a human being) · lnj ma (a human being) · io homo (a human being) · arn wentru (adult male human) · tdd ᥐᥨᥢᥰ (a human being) · hu bábu (piece in board games) · lij ommo (a human being) · otk 𐰚𐰃𐰾𐰃 (a human being) · ta மனிதர் (a human being) · uz odam (a human being) · de Stein (piece in board games) · uk чолові́к (adult male human) · ak ɔ̀bàrímá (adult male human) · ota مرد (adult male human) · akl eaki (adult male human) · sh мушкарац (adult male human) · ryu 男 (adult male human) · he בֶּן אָדָם (a human being) · frp étre humen (a human being) · pt homem (a human being) · jv lanang (adult male human) · hi मनुष्य (a human being) · apm ndé (adult male human) · isd lalaki (adult male human) · nys man (adult male human) · nap ommo (adult male human) · tly مرد (adult male human) · tog munthurumi class 1 (adult male human) · apd زول (adult male human) · zea man (adult male human) · rm uman (a human being) · yox 男 (adult male human) · io viro (adult male human) · uz bashar (a human being) · az kişi (a human being) · shu نادم (a human being) · okn 男 (adult male human) · sga duine (a human being) · ar إنسان (a human being) · atj iriniw (a human being) · ia homine (adult male human) · iba mensia (a human being) · kmr zelam (adult male human) · aer artwe (adult male human) · is maður (adult male human) · qu qhari (adult male human) · fi ukko (piece in board games) · koi мужичӧй (adult male human) · ast home (a human being) · sv mänska (a human being) · nrf houme (adult male human) · ast ser humanu (a human being) · fut taŋata (adult male human) · shi afgan (a human being) · dlm jomno (a human being) · pi นะระ (a human being) · ce боьрша стаг (adult male human) · chy hetane (adult male human) · sl moški (adult male human) · mhr марий (adult male human) · rif argaz (adult male human) · mi tāne (adult male human) · mfe zom (adult male human) · ar بنيآدم (a human being) · ky адам (a human being) · mrw mama (adult male human) · ga fear (adult male human) · sh muškarac (adult male human) · cv ар (adult male human) · sux 𒇽 (adult male human) · prg wīrs (adult male human) · an hombre (adult male human) · he אִישׁ (adult male human) · sh čovjek (adult male human) · cv ар ҫын (adult male human) · wo góor ji (adult male human) · pi manussa (a human being) · hi मर्द (adult male human) · krc адам (a human being) · zh 男的 (adult male human) · rkt beṭa saöa (adult male human) · ssg tel (a human being) · ru фигу́ра (piece in board games) · piv tangata (adult male human) · ttj omuntu class 1 (a human being) · gmw-jdt kääd'l (adult male human) · cho hatak (adult male human) · mt bniedem (a human being) · ota رجل (adult male human) · nb brikke (piece in board games) · se almmái (adult male human) · sq burrë (adult male human) · ky киши (adult male human) · ms orang (a human being) · lld ël (adult male human) · ki mũndũ (a human being) · nod ᨩᩣ᩠ᨿ (adult male human) · jv ꦠꦶꦪꦁ (a human being) · crh erkek (adult male human) · ar رِجَّال (adult male human) · ny mwamúna (adult male human) · orv человѣкъ (a human being) · gl varón (adult male human) · ka კაცი (adult male human) · kab argaz (adult male human) · bn মানব (a human being) · niq ap-chii (a human being) · ta ஆண் (adult male human) · egl òmen (a human being) · tg инсон (a human being) · srn man (adult male human) · vi đàn ông (adult male human) · av инсан (a human being) · skd naŋŋaʔ (a human being) · bi man (a human being) · sd مرد (adult male human) · de Spielstein (piece in board games) · dlm jomno (adult male human) · os адӕймаг (a human being) · te పురుషుడు (adult male human) · hi आदमी (adult male human) · ms manusia (a human being) · he גֶּבֶר (adult male human) · osx mann (adult male human) · pa ਬੰਦਾ (adult male human) · to tangata (a human being) · btw tao (a human being) · xh indoda (adult male human) · pot nene (adult male human) · rap tangata (a human being) · th ชาย (adult male human) · avd میرده (adult male human) · ltg cylvāks (a human being) · ko 사내 (adult male human) · eu gizonki (adult male human) · kk ер адам (adult male human) · tk kişi (adult male human) · agj ሱ (a human being) · cv тӑнлӑ ҫын (a human being) · hu ember (adult male human) · km ប្រុស (adult male human) · lmw tájh (adult male human) · szl czowjek (a human being) · tr beşer (a human being) · wbp wati (adult male human) · et meesterahvas (adult male human) · koi морт (a human being) · wyi kulin (adult male human) · acu aishmang (a human being) · shi bnadm (a human being) · beu ne (a human being) · nds Mensch (a human being) · cdo 儂 /侬 (a human being) · tpi man (adult male human) · ty tāne (adult male human) · de Herr (adult male human) · sk muž (adult male human) · mwl pessona (a human being) · wa djin (a human being) · ja こま (piece in board games) · ee amegbetɔ (a human being) · kgp ũn gré (a human being) · vro miis (adult male human) · nb menneske (a human being) · ar رَجُل (adult male human) · mid ࡂࡁࡓࡀ (adult male human) · str SWÍḴE (adult male human) · te మనిషి (a human being) · sq trim (adult male human) · alt эр кижи (adult male human) · apw ndeeń (adult male human) · zza merdek (adult male human) · tr erkek (adult male human) · wa ome (adult male human) · hrx Mann (adult male human) · pox clåvăk (a human being) · be чалаве́к (a human being) · yue 人 (a human being) · tk adam (a human being) · hy մարդ (adult male human) · id insan (a human being) · fi äijä (piece in board games) · bo སྐྱེ་བོ (a human being) · fr pion (piece in board games) · eo ŝakpeco (piece in board games) · ce адам (a human being) · tk ynsan (a human being) · sh ljudi (a human being) · tt ир кеше (adult male human) · csb człowiek (a human being) · cr nâpêw (adult male human) · yi מאַן (adult male human) · moh rón꞉kwe (adult male human) · apw nnee (adult male human) · kk еркек (adult male human) · kk кісі (a human being) · mg olona (adult male human) · nci tlacatl (a human being) · cic nakni' (adult male human) · lv vīrs (adult male human) · so nin (adult male human) · ak onipa (a human being) · ssg wawan (adult male human) · ar راجل (adult male human) · ang secg (adult male human) · udm адями (a human being) · br den (adult male human) · ay chacha (adult male human) · aii ܐܘܿܪܙܵܐ (adult male human) · cop ⲗⲱⲙⲓ (a human being) · cdo 人類 /人类 (a human being) · tsg tau (a human being) · hi पुरुष (adult male human) · ban muani (adult male human) · wls tagata (a human being) · ha mutum (adult male human) · dsb muž (adult male human) · arc אנשא (a human being) · cy gŵr (adult male human) · sh човјек (adult male human) · it uomo (adult male human) · mr पुरुष (adult male human) · ppl tacat (adult male human) · th คน (a human being) · bjn lakian (adult male human) · am ወንድ (adult male human) · sm tagata (a human being) · arn che (a human being) · de Figur (piece in board games) · ba кеше (a human being) · hi इंसान (a human being) · sv människa (a human being) · sv människa (a human being) · cjv yai (adult male human) · dsb luź (a human being) · msn atm̄ēn (a human being) · fa دوپای (a human being) · fur omp (adult male human) · ar رِجَّال (adult male human) · xal залу күн (adult male human) · sv man (adult male human) · aii ܐ݇ܢܵܫܵܐ (a human being) · zh 查埔人 (adult male human) · itv lalaki (adult male human) · da menneske (a human being) · cdo 唐部儂 /唐部侬 (adult male human) · fi ihminen (a human being) · cs člověk (a human being) · shn ၸၢႆး (adult male human) · os нӕл (adult male human) · got 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (adult male human) · bn পুরুষ (adult male human) · shn ၵူၼ်း (a human being) · sh човек (a human being) · sv pjäs (piece in board games) · bm cɛ (adult male human) · ky киши (a human being) · sh čovek (a human being) · ro om (adult male human) · te మగవాడు (adult male human) · pl istota ludzka (a human being) · ja 男の人 (adult male human) · nb sjakkbrikke (piece in board games) · pt homem (adult male human) · rgn òman (a human being) · mnp 人 (a human being) · pcc wenz (a human being) · ps انسان (a human being) · av гӏадан (a human being) · la mās (adult male human) · tt адәм (a human being) · evn бэе (adult male human) · de Schachfigur (piece in board games) · apw ndeeń (a human being) · lnj ma (adult male human) · wo nit (a human being) · ml മനുഷ്യൻ (a human being) · nv bílaʼashdlaʼii (a human being) · lon mullopwana class 1 (adult male human) · hi मानव (a human being) · alh lilmi (adult male human) · nb mann (adult male human) · twf sə́onena (adult male human) · dsb cłowjek (a human being) · egl òmen (adult male human) · ace ureuëng (a human being) · yrk-tun хасава (adult male human) · fo kallmaður (adult male human) · got 𐌲𐌿𐌼𐌰 (adult male human) · pl człowiek (a human being) · fa آدَم (a human being) · zu umuntu (a human being) · ca ésser humà (a human being) · es hombre (adult male human) · peo 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 (adult male human) · tum mwanalume (adult male human) · chc ye (a human being) · zh 人類 /人类 (a human being) · de må (adult male human) · da figur (piece in board games) · ab ахаҵа (adult male human) · fa خاکْزاد (a human being) · yua xiib (adult male human) · pim nimarew (adult male human) · mr माणूस (a human being) · pa ਆਦਮੀ (adult male human) · pa ਪੁਰਖ (adult male human) · ta மனிதன் (a human being) · fro homme (adult male human) · es hombre (a human being) · zu indoda class 9/6 (adult male human) · zh 儂 /侬 (a human being) · oc òme (adult male human) · kum эркек (adult male human) · hit 𒁉𒌍𒈾𒀸 (adult male human) · hy տղամարդ (adult male human) · inh саг (adult male human) · chr ᏴᏫ (a human being) · my မနုဿ (a human being) · arc ܐܢܫܐ (a human being) · ug ئىنسان (a human being) · el πούλι (piece in board games) · lij ommo (adult male human) · oaa нари (a human being) · km នរ (a human being) · svs tada (adult male human) · udm воргорон (adult male human) · hu ember (a human being) · lew langgai (adult male human) · za koenz (a human being) · lo ຄົນ (a human being) · cic hattak (adult male human) · km ជគត (a human being) · cdo 男界 (adult male human) · fa مَرْد (adult male human) · non maðr (adult male human) · ckb پیاو (adult male human) · mg olombelona (a human being) · ee ŋutsu (adult male human) · uk лю́ди (a human being) · ja 男性 (adult male human) · nhn oquichtli (adult male human) · ru лю́ди (a human being) · sh чо̏вјек (a human being) · lt žmonės (a human being) · cs lidská bytost (a human being) · mrw taw (a human being) · da brik (piece in board games)
From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu.
Cognates
This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning.
Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted.
In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English):
:* Low German Mann
:* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon
:* Saterland Frisian Mon
:* Scots man
:* West Frisian man
:* Yola man
In the remainder of West Germanic:
:* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn
:* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn
:* Cimbrian man, mann, månn
:* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man
:* German and Luxembourgish Mann
:* Mòcheno mònn
:* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn
:* Yiddish מאַן (man)
In East Germanic:
:* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband”
In North Germanic:
:* Danish mand
:* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse
:* Gutnish and Swedish man
:* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann
:* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj
:* Old Norse maðr
Outside Germanic:
: Indo-Iranian:
::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”)
::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”)
::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya)
: Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard):
::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž)
::* Bulgarian мъж (măž)
::* Czech and Slovak muž
::* Macedonian маж (maž)
::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife)
::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž
::* Slovene mož
Meanings
(Multicultural-London-English, personal, pronoun, slang) Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; construed in the third person.
Man's got some new creps.
[Sully:] If it weren’t for that snake […] Man wouldn’t even be in this mess right now. 2011, Top Boy:
Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken. 2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings:
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) 2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:
The girl told me, "take off your jacket" / I said, "Babe, man's not hot" (never hot) 2017 September 22, “Man's Not Hot”performed by Big Shaq [Michael Dapaah]:
(Multicultural-London-English, personal, pronoun, slang) You; construed in the third person.
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. 2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Nathan (Simon Manyonda):
Man thinks I was born yesterday.
(Multicultural-London-English, indefinite, personal, pronoun, slang) Any person, one
Man don't care.
He was of all colours Þat man may se of flours Be-twene Mydsomer and May. c. 1450, Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus:
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, MLE corpus [MLE]) 2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:
From Middle English mannen, from Old English mannian, ġemannian (“to man, supply with men, populate, garrison”), from mann (“human being, man”).
Cognates
* Dutch bemannen (“to man”)
* German bemannen (“to man”)
* Danish bemande (“to man”)
* Swedish bemanna (“to man”)
* Icelandic manna (“to supply with men, to man”)
Meanings
(transitive) To supply (something) with staff or crew (of either sex).
The ship was manned with a small crew.
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. 2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 39:
(transitive) To take up position in order to operate (something).
Man the machine guns!
At times it might seem, to a less sympathetic soul than our imagined observer, that this pale blue, egg-shaped two-door sedan, of uncertain age and in mediocre condition, was manned by an idiot. 1957 March 7, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 5.1, in Pnin, Heinemann, page 112:
“Avast!” roared Ahab, dashing him against the bulwarks—“Man the boat! Which way heading?” 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 100, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
(dated, possibly, reflexive) To brace (oneself), to fortify or steel (oneself) in a manly way. (Compare man up.)
“To stay open, the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Forward said he needed people to cover security,” Duncan wrote. “Personnel Recovery Task Force (PRTF) Pilots, maintainers and support personnel donned their vests, helmets and M-4 rifles and manned defensive fighting positions.” 2021 October 14, Oren Liebermann, “CENTCOM disputes Air Force account of attempted hijacking at Kabul airport during Afghanistan evacuation”, in CNN:
he manned himself heroically 1876, Julian Hawthorne, Saxon Studies:
(obsolete, transitive) To wait on, attend to or escort.
(obsolete, transitive) To accustom (a raptor or other type of bird) to the presence of people.
fi miehittää (to take up position in order to operate something) · da bemande (to supply with staff or crew) · nl bemannen (to supply with staff or crew) · el επανδρώνω (to supply with staff or crew) · sv bemanna (to supply with staff or crew) · he אִיֵּשׁ (to supply with staff or crew) · kmr dagir kirin (to supply with staff or crew) · de besetzen (to take up position in order to operate something) · es encargarse de (encargarse) (to take up position in order to operate something) · es reforzar (to take up position in order to operate something) · et mehitama (to take up position in order to operate something) · af beman (to supply with staff or crew) · es operar (to take up position in order to operate something) · cs obsadit mužstvem (to supply with staff or crew) · fi miehittää (to supply with staff or crew) · de bemannen (to take up position in order to operate something) · cs obsluhovat (to take up position in order to operate something) · nn bemanna (to take up position in order to operate something) · is manna (to supply with staff or crew) · ta ஆள் சேர் (to supply with staff or crew) · et mehitama (to supply with staff or crew) · ja 割り当てる (to take up position in order to operate something) · nn bemanna (to supply with staff or crew) · pt operar (to take up position in order to operate something) · af beman (to take up position in order to operate something) · pt tripular (to supply with staff or crew) · nb bemanne (to supply with staff or crew) · es tripular (to supply with staff or crew) · zza merdımey (diq) (to take up position in order to operate something) · da besætte (to take up position in order to operate something) · nl bemannen (to take up position in order to operate something) · es guarnecer (to take up position in order to operate something) · nn bemanne (to take up position in order to operate something) · fo manna (to supply with staff or crew) · pl obsadzić (to supply with staff or crew) · sv bemanna (to take up position in order to operate something) · ar زود بالجند (to supply with staff or crew) · de bemannen (to supply with staff or crew) · ja 乗り組ませる (to supply with staff or crew) · fi täyttää (to supply with staff or crew) · nn bemanne (to supply with staff or crew) · nb bemanne (to take up position in order to operate something) · fo manna (to take up position in order to operate something) · ja 据える (to take up position in order to operate something) · pl obsługiwać (to take up position in order to operate something) · is manna (to take up position in order to operate something) · es apersonarse (to take up position in order to operate something) · kmr dagirtin (to supply with staff or crew)