Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “MAN” come from?

MAN (English) comes from Middle English man, from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Sanskrit महायान, from Sanskrit यान, from Proto-Indo-Aryan yáHnam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian yáHnam — to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel.

MAN (English): Initialism of Metropolitan Area Network

Definitions

  1. Initialism of Metropolitan Area Network

Ancestry of “MAN”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmanTypically singular, indefinite pronoun: one, you;...
2Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
3Sanskritमहादेव—
4Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
5Sanskritमहायान—
6Sanskritयानcarriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,...
7Proto-Indo-AryanyáHnam—
8Proto-Indo-IranianyáHnam—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyéh₂-nom—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyeh₂-to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yeh₂- →