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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

manship en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈmænʃɪp/

Etymology

From Middle English manship (“position of honor; respect; courtesy; manly spirit or conduct; humanity; human condition”), from Old English mansċipe (“humanity, courtesy”), equivalent to man + -ship. Cognate with Dutch manschap (“homage, manred, crew”), German Mannschaft (“team, crew, squad, force”), Swedish manskap (“rank, crew”).

Meanings

  1. (uncountable) The characteristic of being a man; maleness; masculinity; manliness; manhood.
    • Every man is a man if he chooses to be, and has in himself all that he needs in order to be a man in the full significance of the term; and therefore no one has any occasion to borrow a part of his manship from his brother. 1845, Orestes Augustus Brownson, Charles Elwood, page 161:
    • The manship of Jesus was hid from the eyes of men as completely as the Godship. 2007, Kevin P. Novak, Adam Versus Adam, page 69:
    • They were middle-class and, therefore, "had a better attitude towards girls because boys [in Washington Highlands] like beating girls to show their manship. 2003, Leon Dash, When Children Want Children: The Urban Crisis of Teenage Childbearing, page 200:
    • He certainly had nothing to do with the choosing of his manship, any more than his sister had of her womanhood. 1902, Lebbeus Harding Rogers, The Kite Trust (a Romance of Wealth), page 324:
  2. (archaic, uncountable) Position of honor or respect; dignity, worthiness
    • Ac fourti winter Madan mid mansipe held his riche. c1400, Cursor Mundi:
  3. (archaic, uncountable) Honor shown to a person; homage, respect; courtesy
    • For los and priis þou miᵹt þer winne & manschip to þe & al þi kinne. c1330, The Romance of Guy of Warwick:
  4. (archaic, dialectal, uncountable) Manly spirit or conduct; courage, valor, gallantry; chivalry
    • And how that ever ye do, hold up your manship. c1465, The Paston Letters:
  5. (archaic, uncountable) Human condition.
    • Bot he was ferliful to call if þou it sagh..þat in a man all manscip war. c1400, Cursor Mundi:

Relateds

one-up-manship · manshiply