English
manful
Manful comes from Middle English manful ‘Noble, brave, strong, daring, determined’, from man ‘man, person’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mon-.
- 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‘person’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500man‘man, person’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500manful‘Noble, brave, strong, daring, determined’
- Englishearliest quotation 1988same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- 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‘person’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500man‘man, person’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500manful‘Noble, brave, strong, daring, determined’
- Englishearliest quotation 1988same form
Earliest quotation: 1988, Bapsi Sidhwa, Ice-Candy Man: “If Cousin wasn’t trying so hard to be manful,…”
Formed from man + -ful
Proto-Germanic *mann- ‘human being, person, man’
Proto-West Germanic *mann ‘person’
Old English mann ‘human being, person, man’
Middle English man
English man
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mon- ‘man, human being’
through Proto-Germanic *mann- ‘human, human being, person, individual’
men, mankind, mannequin, munchkin, mensch, shipman, mannish, 13 more
through Proto-West Germanic *mann ‘person, human, individual’
through Old English mann ‘person’
chairman, madman, horseman, 11 more
through Middle English man ‘man, person’
Today it means
adj Showing the characteristics considered typical of a man; macho or manly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mon- / manful