Mensch

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: mensch, mènsch, and Mënsch

Bavarian

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (human), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (human, man). Cognates include German Mensch, Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, English mannish, Old Norse mennskr, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (mannisks).

Noun

[edit]

Mensch m (accusative Menschen or Mensch'n, plural Menschen or Mensch'n or Menschn)

  1. human, human being, man

Noun

[edit]

Mensch n (plural Menscher, diminutive Menscherl)

  1. female person, girl, woman

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

German

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (human), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (human, man). Compare Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, Swedish människa, all with the primary sense of “person” or “human being”.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /mɛnʃ/, [mɛnʃ], [mɛnt͡ʃ]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Homophone: mensch

Noun

[edit]

Mensch m (weak, genitive Menschen, plural Menschen, diminutive Menschchen n or Menschlein n, feminine Mensch or Menschin)

  1. human, human being, person, man
    Sie ist ein ganz toller Mensch.
    She is a really awesome person.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Mensch is a weak noun in the standard language but is part of a group of nouns with a tendency to be strong colloquially, so one might hear dem Mensch instead of dem Menschen.
  • In older literature, the genitive des Menschens occurs.
  • The feminine die Menschin is very rare in actual use; most uses are jocular.

Declension

[edit]

Hyponyms

[edit]

Hyponyms

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

Mensch n (strong, genitive Mensches or Menschs, plural Menscher)

  1. (now often derogatory) woman

Usage notes

[edit]
  • In older language a neutral term, then applied upon servants and dismissively as “baggage, broad”.

Declension

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]

Interjection

[edit]

Mensch

  1. man! rah!

Synonyms

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

Hunsrik

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from man.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

Mensch m (plural Mensche)

  1. human, human being, person
    Keen Mensch konnd do leve.
    No human being could live here.

Derived terms

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

Plautdietsch

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle Low German mensche, minsche, from Old Saxon mennisk, mennisko, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz.

Noun

[edit]

Mensch m (plural Menschen)

  1. human, human being, person