Where does “henchman” come from?

Henchman derives from Middle English henseman, from Old English hengstmann, a compound of Old English hengst (stallion) and mann (man), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- (man).

henchman (English): A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate; A...

Definitions

  1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate; A...

Ancestry of “henchman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhenxmana groom, page, attendant
2Old Englishhengestmanngroom
3Old Englishmannperson; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult...
4Proto-West Germanicmannperson, human
5Proto-Germanic*mann-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

Words derived from “henchman”

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