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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

manly en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmænli/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English manli, manlich, manly, from Old English *manlīċ (suggested by adverb manlīċe (“in a way befitting a person; nobly, stately”)), from Proto-West Germanic *mannlīk, from Proto-Germanic *mannlīkaz, equivalent to man + -ly (adjectival suffix). Cognate with Old High German manlīh (“manly”) (whence German männlich), Dutch mannelijk, Old Norse mannligr (“human”) (Danish mandlig, Swedish manlig).

Meanings

  1. Having the characteristics of a man.
    • what God or Feend, or ſpirit of the earth, Or Monſter turned to a manly ſhape, Or of what mould or mettel he be made, What ſtar or ſtate ſoeuer gouern him, Let vs put on our meet incountering mindes, […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vi:
  2. Having qualities viewed as befitting a man; masculine, manful, courageous, resolute, noble.
    • Curious, Courtney opened up the little black book and flipped several pages before coming to one where the names hadn't yet been lined through. The first was Harper Isaac. Mmm, the name sounded manly. 2008 April, Brenda Jackson, Her Little Black Book, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN, page 16:
    • "I hope that she will be as happy as I should have tried to make her," said Enniscorthy rather shakily. […] "A very manly way of taking it and very properly expressed—very well indeed," declared Mr. Carlyle with warm approval as the door closed. "Max, that is the outcome of good blood—blood and breeding." 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
    • Serene and manly, harden'd to sustain / The load of life. 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Fifteenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
    • Let's briefly put on manly readiness. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
    • Without a successful defense of one's city, none of the other virtues would be possible; manly courage seems to be a precondition for anything else worth achieving in life. 2001, Thomas W. Smith, Revaluing Ethics: Aristotle's Dialectical Pedagogy, page 86:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
manliest Degree=Sup lexicographic
manlier Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Coordinates

womanly

Deriveds

manlihood · manly needs · unmanly · manlihead · hypermanly · manliness · manlily

Translations (81)

nn mannleg (having the characteristics of a man) · pt varonil (having the characteristics of a man) · nb mandig (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ka ვაჟკაცური (having the characteristics of a man) · tr erkeksi (having the characteristics of a man) · ca viril (having the characteristics of a man) · ckb پیاوانە (having the characteristics of a man) · he גַּבְרִי (having the characteristics of a man) · da mandlig (having the characteristics of a man) · la masculus (having the characteristics of a man) · fa مردانه (having the characteristics of a man) · de männlich (having the characteristics of a man) · gd fearail (having the characteristics of a man) · pl mężny (having the characteristics of a man) · ota ذكر (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ota مردانه (having the characteristics of a man) · fi miehekäs (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ka მამაკაცური (having the characteristics of a man) · ru му́жественный (having the characteristics of a man) · gd tapaidh (having the characteristics of a man) · enm manly (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · sh muški (having the characteristics of a man) · yi מענלעך (having the characteristics of a man) · ru мужско́й (having the characteristics of a man) · el αντρίκειος (having the characteristics of a man) · fr viril (having the characteristics of a man) · ota ذكر (having the characteristics of a man) · lt výriškas (having the characteristics of a man) · cy gẃraidd (having the characteristics of a man) · ro bărbătos (having the characteristics of a man) · th เป็นลูกผู้ชาย (having the characteristics of a man) · ru мужеподо́бный (having the characteristics of a man) · nb mannlig (having the characteristics of a man) · grc ἀνδρώδης (having the characteristics of a man) · fi miehekäs (having the characteristics of a man) · da mandig (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · la virilis (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · bg мъжки (having the characteristics of a man) · sv manlig (having the characteristics of a man) · pt viril (having the characteristics of a man) · ps نر (having the characteristics of a man) · bn মরদ (having the characteristics of a man) · nl mannelijk (having the characteristics of a man) · ga fearúil (having the characteristics of a man) · ca viril (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · el αρρενωπός (having the characteristics of a man) · ja 男らしい (having the characteristics of a man) · ro bărbătos (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · sk mužný (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · mi taitoa (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · cs mužný (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · es varonil (having the characteristics of a man) · ro bărbătesc (having the characteristics of a man) · cs mužný (having the characteristics of a man) · pl męski (having the characteristics of a man) · sgs vīrėšks (having the characteristics of a man) · enm manly (having the characteristics of a man) · es viril (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · gd duineil (having the characteristics of a man) · bg мъжествен (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · yue 男氣 /男气 (having the characteristics of a man) · ro masculin (having the characteristics of a man) · ro viril (having the characteristics of a man) · cy gwrol (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ar رُجُولِيّ (having the characteristics of a man) · ota مردانه (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · cs mužský (having the characteristics of a man) · hy առնական (having the characteristics of a man) · ps نارينه (having the characteristics of a man) · sa वृषन् (having the characteristics of a man) · cmn 男子氣 /男子气 (having the characteristics of a man) · id jantan (having the characteristics of a man) · hu férfias (having the characteristics of a man) · mi whakatāne (having the characteristics of a man) · ka კაცური (having the characteristics of a man) · el ανδροπρεπής (having the characteristics of a man) · ca masculí (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · bn মরদ (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ga fearúil (having the qualities of a man such as courage) · ang werlīċ (having the characteristics of a man) · oc masculin (having the characteristics of a man)

manly en · ADV · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmænli/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English manli, manlich, manly, from Old English manlīċe, equivalent to man + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Meanings

  1. In a way befitting a man.
    • The crowd loves those who fight manly and nobly, but it laughs at those who are pathetic cowards. If any gladiator were to run off at the mere sight of his opponent raising his sword, he would be mocked as feeble and effeminate and inexperienced. 2014, Jerry Toner, “How to Be a Roman”, in The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino: Understanding the Roman Games (Witness to Ancient History), Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 90:
    • [Y]ou will not only confer a favor on them but if appointed will add two Officers to our Army who will fight manly to defend their Country. 1812 February 4, Reuben Attwater, “From Reuben Attwater”, in Stephen R[ow] Bradley, edited by Dorr Bradley Carpenter, Stephen R. Bradley: Letters of a Revolutionary War Patriot and Vermont Senator, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, published 2009, →ISBN, “Correspondence, 1771 to 1831” section, page 333:
    • “[…] Permit me to bandage it, while, at the same time, I tell you how well Hamet did leading the charge.” “Did he?” Eaton questioned. “He did! and he did it manly! Our rightful heir for once behaved more like a ruler than I ever would have imagined. I believe he won quite a few converts this day.” 2001 September 27, Raymond F. Aubé, chapter 31, in Across Troubled Waters, [Bloomington, Ind.]: 1stBooks, →ISBN, page 625:

Coordinates

womanly

Synonyms

manlily