English
man
Man comes from Old English mann ‘human being, person, man’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *mann- ‘person, man’, whose deeper origin is disputed.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mann-‘human being, person, man’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mann‘person’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mann‘human being, person, man’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500man
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1450same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mann-‘human being, person, man’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mann‘person’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mann‘human being, person, man’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500man
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1450same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1450, Thomas Chestre: “He was of all colours Þat man may se…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mon- ‘human being, man’
through Proto-Germanic *mann-
men, mankind, munchkin, mannequin, mensch, shipman, mannish, 13 more
through Proto-West Germanic *mann ‘person, human, individual’
through Old English mann ‘human being, person, man’
chairman, horseman, madman, 11 more
through Middle English man
Another origin of man
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mon-‘man, human being’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mann-‘human, human being, person, individual’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mann‘person, human, individual’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mann‘human being, man’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150mannian‘to man, supply with men, populate, garrison’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mannen
- Englishtodayman
Today it means
noun An adult male human.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *mann- / man