Where does “man” come from?
man (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): one, you; they, people; someone, somebody
Definitions
- one, you; they, people; someone, somebody
Ancestry of “man”, step by step
man traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German man
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | man | but, only |
| 2 | Old Saxon | mann | human, person |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |
via Hebrew מן
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hebrew | מן | Alternative form of מִ־; manna |