Where does “straw man” come from?
straw man (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.
straw man (English): A doll or scarecrow, particularly one stuffed...
Definitions
- A doll or scarecrow, particularly one stuffed...
Ancestry of “straw man”, step by step
straw man traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |
via English straw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | straw | A dried stalk of a cereal plant; Such dried... |
| 2 | Middle English | straw | The remaining plant material after cultivation;... |
| 3 | Old English | strēaw | straw |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | strau | straw |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | strawą | straw |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | strew- | to spread, to strew |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sterh₃- | to spread, extend, stretch out |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |