Manly
/ˈmæn.li/noun
Having qualities traditionally associated with men, especially strength, courage, or decisiveness.
Did you know?The first element in *manly* comes from Old English *mann*, which originally meant “person” or “human being” before it narrowed to “adult male,” so the word’s oldest sense is less about gender and more about humanity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*man-
“human being, person”
Old English
OE
mann
“person, human being; later also adult male”
Old English
OE
mannlīċ
“human-like, fit for a man/person”
Middle English
ME
manli
“manlike, having the qualities of a man”
Modern English
English
manly
“having traditionally masculine qualities”