Where does “man” come from?
man (German Low German) comes from Middle Low German man, from Old Saxon mann, from Proto-West Germanic mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
man (German Low German): only; but
Ancestry of “man”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | man | but, only |
| 2 | Old Saxon | mann | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |