Where does “man” come from?

man (Middle English) comes from Old English mān, from Sanskrit महादेव, from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

man (Middle English): Typically singular, indefinite pronoun: one, you;...

Definitions

  1. Typically singular, indefinite pronoun: one, you;...

Ancestry of “man”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
2Sanskritमहादेवthe "great God"
3Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
4Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́—
5Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

Words derived from “man”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →