Where does “mankind” come from?
Mankind derives from Middle English mankinde, from Old English mancynn, from Proto-West Germanic manakuni, from Proto-Germanic manakunją, blending Proto-Germanic kunją with the root Proto-Germanic mana- related to Proto-Indo-European men- and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁-.
mankind (English): The human race in its entirety; Men collectively,...
Definitions
- The human race in its entirety; Men collectively,...
Ancestry of “mankind”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mankynde | mankind |
| 2 | Middle English | kynde | Nature, disposition |
| 3 | Middle English | -nesse | Affixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns... |
| 4 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |