Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “Man” come from?

Man (French) comes from French ma, from French tante, from Middle French tante, from Middle French ante, from Old French ante, from Latin amita, from Proto-Indo-European amma- — mother.

Ancestry of “Man”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmafeminine singular of mon; my
2Frenchtanteaunt; homosexual ; faggot, fag ; poof
3Middle Frenchtante—
4Middle Frenchanteauntie; aunt
5Old Frenchantenominative singular of antain; aunt
6Latinamitapaternal aunt; father's sister
7Proto-Indo-Europeanamma-mother

Words derived from “Man”

  • clubman
Every word from Proto-Indo-European amma- →