Where does “hangman” come from?
Hangman derives from English hang and English man, with man tracing to English ham, English hamfatter, Proto-Germanic haimaz, and Proto-Indo-European men- and ḱóm.
hangman (English): An executioner responsible for hanging criminals;...
Definitions
- An executioner responsible for hanging criminals;...
Ancestry of “hangman”, step by step
hangman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Hang
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hang | Name and trademark of a musical instrument... |
| 2 | English | dang | Damn; A damn, a negligible quantity, minimal... |
| 3 | English | damn | To condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare... |
| 4 | Middle English | dampnen | to damn |
| 5 | Old French | dampner | to damn |
| 6 | Latin | damnō | to discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject |
| 7 | Latin | damnum | damage or injury; loss; a fine |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | dapnom | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dh₂pnóm | expense, investment |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |
via English MAN
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MAN | Initialism of Metropolitan Area Network |
| 2 | English | manual | A handbook; A booklet that instructs on the usage... |
| 3 | Middle English | manuel | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | manuel | manual; done with the hands; handle; manual;... |
| 5 | Old French | manual | — |
| 6 | Latin | manuālis | hand |
| 7 | Latin | manus | hand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | manus | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | man- | human being; man; hand |