Where does “gentlemen” come from?
gentlemen (English) comes from English gentleman, from Middle English gentilman, from Middle English man, from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Sanskrit महायान, from Sanskrit यान — to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel.
gentlemen (English): plural of gentleman; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- plural of gentleman; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “gentlemen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | gentleman | A man of gentle but not noble birth,... |
| 2 | Middle English | gentilman | — |
| 3 | Middle English | man | Typically singular, indefinite pronoun: one, you;... |
| 4 | Old English | mān | bad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;... |
| 5 | Sanskrit | महादेव | — |
| 6 | Sanskrit | महा | combining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,... |
| 7 | Sanskrit | महायान | — |
| 8 | Sanskrit | यान | carriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | yáHnam | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | yáHnam | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yéh₂-nom | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | yeh₂- | to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel |
Words derived from “gentlemen”