Where does “man” come from?

man (Danish) comes from German man, from Middle Low German man, from Old Saxon mann, from Proto-West Germanic mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

man (Danish): mane; you, one, they, people; I

Definitions

  1. mane; you, one, they, people; I

Ancestry of “man”, step by step

man traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German man

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmanone, you; they, people; someone, somebody
2Middle Low Germanmanbut, only
3Old Saxonmannhuman, person
4Proto-West Germanicmannperson, human
5Proto-Germanic*mann-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

via Old Norse Mǫn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old NorseMǫnIsle of Man
2Old IrishManaMan, Anglesey
3Proto-Celticmoniyosmountain

Words derived from “man”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European men- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *mann- →Every word from Proto-West Germanic mann →