Word: man Part of Speech: noun Etymology: 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::* Bulgarian мъж (mǎž) ::* Czech and Slovak muž ::* Macedonian маж (maž) ::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife) ::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž ::* Slovene mož Pronunciation: /ˈmæn/, [ˈmɛə̯n], [ˈmeə̯n], /ˈman/, /ˈmaːn/ 1. An adult male human. Example: The show is especially popular with middle-aged men. Example: The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me. 2. An adult male human. Labels: collective Example: 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. Example: Unsurprisingly, if modern man is a sort of camera, modern woman is a picture. 3. An adult male human. Example: When President Roosevelt goes walking in the country about Washington he is always accompanied by two Secret Service men. Example: "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. 4. An adult male human. Example: He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house[…] Example: 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[…]. 5. An adult male human. 6. A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult. Labels: dated, formal Example: every man for himself Example: […]a man cannot make him laugh. 7. A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult. Labels: collective, dated, formal Example: 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. Example: 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. 8. A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens. Example: 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. Example: The evidence suggests that close relatives of early man, in lineages that later became extinct, also were able to use tools. 9. A male person, usually an adult; a (generally adult male) sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc. Example: For God is holde a ryghtwys man. Example: God's a good man. 10. Manliness; the quality or state of being manly. Labels: obsolete, uncommon, uncountable Example: Methought he bare himself in such a fashion, / So full of man, and sweetness in his carriage, /[…] 11. A husband. Example: I pronounce that they are man and wife. Example: In the next place, every wife ought to answer for her man. 12. A male lover; a boyfriend. Example: Stay away from my man! 13. Used as the last element of a compound. Example: Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man. 14. Used as the last element of a compound. Example: I wanted to be a guitar man on a road tour, but instead I’m a flag man on a road crew. 15. A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's requirements with regard to a specified matter. Example: "She's the man for the job." Example: Joanie volunteered, of course — if any dirty job is on offer requiring running, she's your man — 16. A vassal; a subject. Labels: historical Example: Like master, like man. Example: all the king's men 17. A piece or token used in board games such as backgammon. Example: The white men are always put on that side of the board which commences by row I, and the black men are placed opposite. 18. One of the player's chances to play, lost when the player's character dies or when certain mistakes are made. Example: Most machines are set to award you an extra man after 8000 points, and then after each additional 14.000 points. 19. A term of familiar address often implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste. Example: Come on, man, we've got no time to lose! Example: 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 20. 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. Example: Near-synonyms: my man, bro, brother Example: Hey, man, how's it goin'? I haven't seen you in months! [they know each other's name] 21. A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of limiting their attacking impact. Example: 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." Example: 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. 22. A soldier below the rank of a non-commissioned officer. Labels: slang