mannish

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*manniskaz“human”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mannisk
3. Old English · inherited frommennisċ“human, natural, humane”
4. Middle English · inherited frommannish
5. English todaymannish

From Middle English mannish, mannisshe, mannysh, from earlier mennish (“human”), from Old English mennisċ (“human, natural, humane”), from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). By surface analysis, man + -ish. Doublet of mennish, mense, and mensch.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. (from 14th c. in Middle English) Resembling or characteristic of a man, masculine.
• from 16th c. Resembling or characteristic of a grown man (as opposed to a boy); mature, adult.
• from 19th c. Impertinent; assertive.
• from 16th c. (from 9th c. in Anglo-Saxon) Resembling or characteristic of a human being, in form or nature; human.