Where does “main” come from?
main (Middle French) comes from Old French main, from Latin manus, from Proto-Italic manus, from Proto-Indo-European man- — human being; man; hand.
main (Middle French): hand
Ancestry of “main”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | main | hand |
| 2 | Latin | manus | hand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | manus | hand |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | man- | human being; man; hand |
Words derived from “main”