Where does “manhunt” come from?
Manhunt is a compound of Middle English man, from Proto-Germanic mann-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men-, combined with hunt.
manhunt (English): An organized search for a criminal or enemy
Definitions
- An organized search for a criminal or enemy
Ancestry of “manhunt”, step by step
manhunt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Hunt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hunt | for a hunter (for game, birds etc) |
| 2 | Middle English | hunten | to hunt |
| 3 | Cimbrian | hunt | dog |
| 4 | Middle High German | hunt | dog (Canis familiaris) |
| 5 | Old High German | hunt | dog |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | hund | dog |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hundaz | dog |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱwn̥tós | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱwṓ | dog |
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 |