# Mensch
## Bavarian
### Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“human, man”). Cognates include German Mensch, Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, English mannish, Old Norse mennskr, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (mannisks).

### Noun

Mensch m (accusative Menschen or Mensch'n, plural Menschen or Mensch'n or Menschn)
* human, human being, man

### Noun

Mensch n (plural Menscher, diminutive Menscherl)
* female person, girl, woman

#### Derived terms

* Menscherer

### Related terms

* Herrenmensch

## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“human, man”). Compare Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, Danish menneske, Swedish människa, all with the primary sense of “person” or “human being”.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mɛnʃ/, [mɛnʃ], [mɛnt͡ʃ]
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: mensch

### Noun

Mensch m (weak, genitive Menschen, plural Menschen, diminutive Menschchen n or Menschlein n, feminine Mensch or Menschin)
* human, human being, person, man
    Sie ist ein ganz toller Mensch.She is a really awesome person.

#### Usage notes

* Mensch is a weak noun in the standard language but is part of a group of nouns with a tendency to be strong colloquially, so one might hear dem Mensch instead of dem Menschen.
* In older literature, the genitive des Menschens occurs.
* The feminine die Menschin is very rare in actual use; most uses are jocular.

#### Hyponyms

* Bub m, Bube m, Junge m; Mädchen n
* Mann m; Frau f

#### Hyponyms

* Affenmensch (“apeman”)
* Ausnahmemensch (“exceptional person”) (philosophical, literary)
* Durchschnittsmensch (“average person/man/human being”)
* Edelmensch (“noble person”) (term coined by Karl May)
* Einzelmensch (“individual, individual person”) (philosophy, sociology, theology)
* Elefantenmensch (“Elephant Man”) (historical nickname)
* Erfolgsmensch (“highflyer, successful person, man of success”) (sociology)
* Frühmensch (“early man, early human, primitive man”) (anthropology)
* Genussmensch (“hedonist, sybarite, epicure, epicurean, pleasure-seeker”)
* Gottmensch (“God-man, Godman”) (Christian theology)
* Gutmensch
* Herrenmensch (“master human; member of the Master Race”)
* Höhlenmensch
* Jetztmensch (“present-day human/man/person”) (anthropology)
* Kopfmensch (“head person, cerebral person”) (psychology)
* Lebensmensch
* Nachtmensch
* Schlangenmensch (“contortionist”)
* Schneemensch (“Abominable Snowman, Yeti”) (cryptozoology)

#### Derived terms

* Arbeitsmensch
* Echsenmensch
* Familienmensch
* Gefühlsmensch
* Machtmensch
* Mensch ärgere Dich nicht
* Menschanschauung
* Menschenaffe
* Menschenfeind
* Menschenfleisch
* Menschenfresser
* Menschenfuß
* Menschengedenken
* menschengemacht
* Menschengeschlecht
* Menschenhand
* Menschenhandel
* Menschenjagd
* Menschenkenntnis
* Menschenkind
* Menschenleben
* menschenleer
* Menschenmenge
* Menschenmüll
* Menschenrasse
* Menschenscheu
* Menschensohn
* Menschentraube
* Menschenverstand
* Menschenversuch
* Menschenwelt
* Menschheit
* menschlich
* Menschwerdung
* Mitmensch
* Übermensch
* Unmensch
* Untermensch
* Vormensch

### Noun

Mensch n (strong, genitive Mensches or Menschs, plural Menscher)
* (now often derogatory) woman

#### Usage notes

* In older language a neutral term, then applied upon servants and dismissively as “baggage, broad”.

#### Declension

$^1$Now rare, see notes.

#### Derived terms

* Fraumensch n, Frauenmensch n, Frauensmensch
* Weibsmensch n

### Interjection

Mensch
* man! rah!

#### Synonyms

* Mann, Mannomann (mannomann), manno (Manno), menno, krass

### Further reading

* “Mensch” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “Mensch (Frau)” in Duden online
* “Mensch (Lebewesen, Individuum)” in Duden online
* “Mensch” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Mensch”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
* “Mensch” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

## Hunsrik
### Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from man.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mɛnʃ/

### Noun

Mensch m (plural Mensche)
* human, human being, person
    Keen Mensch konnd do leve.No human being could live here.

#### Derived terms

* Menschheet
* menschlich

### Further reading

* Online Hunsrik Dictionary

## Plautdietsch
### Etymology

From Middle Low German mensche, minsche, from Old Saxon mennisk, mennisko, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz.

### Noun

Mensch m (plural Menschen)
* human, human being, person