mankyn
Middle English
Alternative forms
- mankynne, man-kynne (Late Middle English); mannkinn (Ormulum)
- man ken, mankenn (East Saxon, Kent); manken, man kin (Norfolk)
- mankun (Southern); man cun, moncun, mon-cun, monkun, mon-kun, monkyn (West Midland)
Etymology
Inherited from Old English mancynn, from Proto-West Germanic *manakuni, from Proto-Germanic *manakunją. By surface analysis, man (“man, human”) + kyn (“kin”); compare mankynde.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmanˌkin/
- IPA(key): /ˈmanˌkɛn/ (East Anglia, East Saxon, Kent)
- IPA(key): /ˈmɔnˌkyn/ (West Midland)
Noun
mankyn (uncountable, genitive singular mankynnes, dative singular mankynne)
- Humankind, humanity; the human race.
- Synonym: mankynde
- (Early Middle English) A grouping of humans (e.g. an army or ethnicity)
- (rare) Human nature or form.
- Synonym: mankynde
Usage notes
- mankynde is the more usual term for "mankind" after the Early Middle English period.
References
- “man-kin, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.