Mac
/mæk/noun
An informal term for a man or fellow, especially in American English.
Did you know?The use of Mac as a generic form of address grew from the Gaelic patronymic prefix meaning “son of,” not from the Macintosh computer brand.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*makkos
“Son; young man—an inherited Celtic form whose deeper origin is uncertain.”
Old Irish
Old Irish
mac
“Son; a male descendant.”
Medieval Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic
mac
“Son of, used in personal names and clan surnames.”
16th–18th Century
Scots
Mac-
“A patronymic surname element meaning “son of,” as in MacDonald.”
Early 20th Century
American English
Mac
“A familiar or informal form of address for a man or fellow.”
Modern English
English
mac
“An informal term for a man; separately, a shortened form of Macintosh.”