Where does “mansplain” come from?
mansplain (English) comes from English MAN, from English manual, from Middle English manuel, from Anglo-Norman manuel, from Old French manual, from Latin manuālis, from Latin manus, from Proto-Italic manus — human being; man; hand.
mansplain (English): To explain (something) condescendingly (to a female listener), especially to explain something the listener already knows, presuming that she has an inferior understanding of it merely because she is female
Definitions
- To explain (something) condescendingly (to a female listener), especially to explain something the listener already knows, presuming that she has an inferior understanding of it merely because she is female
Ancestry of “mansplain”, step by step
| 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 |