English - Etymology

From Middle English men, from Old English menn (“men, people, human beings collectively”), plural of mann (“man”). Cognate with German Männer (“men”), Danish mænd (“men”), Swedish män (“men”). More at man.

English - Pronunciation

Wikipedia

• IPA^(key): /mɛn/,
• Rhymes: -ɛn

English - Noun

men

1. plural form of man
   • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:

     This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] Indeed, all his features were in large mold, like the man himself, as though he had come from a day when skin garments made the proper garb of men.

2. (collective) (The) people, humanity.

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Derived terms

• man among men

Related terms

• mennish

Translations

Basque - Noun

men

1. A command

Crimean Tatar - Pronoun

men (plural biz; possessive adjective menim)

1. (personal) I (first-person singular)

Danish - Etymology 1

From Old Norse mein, from Proto-Germanic *mainą (“damage, hurt, injustice, sin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meːn/, [meːˀn]

Noun

men or mén n, c (singular definite menet or menen, plural indefinite men, plural definite menene)

1. injury

Danish - Etymology 2

Same origin as Old Norse meðan (“while”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛn/, [mɛn]

Conjunction

men

1. but
2. (as a noun) but, catch, hitch, snag

Dutch - Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛn

Dutch - Etymology 1

An unstressed variety of man.

Pronoun

men

1. (indefinite) One, they, (the) people; indefinite third-person singular pronoun: Men zegt dat... (People say that...; It is said that...)
2. All humanity, everyone; public opinion.

Related terms

• iemand
• niemand

Dutch - Etymology 2

origin unclear

Verb

men

1. first-person singular present indicative of mennen
2. imperative of mennen

Faroese - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [meːn] (noun)
• IPA^(key): [mɛnː] (conjunction)

  Homophone: menn

Faroese - Noun

men f (genitive singular menar, plural menir or menar)

1. (rare, Mykines) The spinal cord

Declension

Synonyms

• (common) møna

Faroese - Conjunction

men

1. but

Haitian Creole - Etymology

From French main (“hand”). 

Haitian Creole - Noun

men

1. hand

Italian - Adverb

men

1. apocopic form of meno

Japanese - Romanization

men

1. rōmaji reading of めん

Lojban - Rafsi

men

1. rafsi of menli.

Mandarin - Romanization

men (Zhuyin ㄇㄣ˙)

1. Pinyin transliteration of 們, 们
2. Nonstandard spelling of mēn.
3. Nonstandard spelling of mén.
4. Nonstandard spelling of měn.
5. Nonstandard spelling of mèn.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Norwegian Bokmål - Etymology 1

Via Swedish and Danish men, same origin as Old Norse meðan (“while”).

Conjunction

men

1. But, however; introducing a clause that contrasts with the preceding clause, sentence or common belief.
2. though
3. only

   Han er en fin kar, men han snakker litt for mye. – He is a nice guy, but he talks a bit too much.

Norwegian Bokmål - Etymology 2

From Old Norse mein.

Noun

men

1. damage; injury (also mén)
2. permanent disability
3. difficulty; drawback

Alternative forms

• mein

Norwegian Nynorsk - Etymology 1

Via Swedish and Danish men, same origin as Old Norse meðan (“while”).

Conjunction

men

1. but, however; introducing a clause that contrasts with the preceding clause, sentence or common belief.
2. though
3. only

Norwegian Nynorsk - Etymology 2

From men.

Noun

men n (definite singular menet, uncountable)

1. difficulty

Novial - Determiner

men

1. my

Novial - Pronoun

men

1. mine

Novial - Related Terms

• me

Swedish - Etymology 1

From Old Swedish men, from Middle Low German men, man ’but, only’, probably from Old Saxon niwan; possibly under the influence of Old Swedish men ’while, during’ (modern Swedish: medan, medans, mens). Cognate with modern Low German man.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛn/

Conjunction

men

1. but; introducing a clause that contrasts with the preceding clause, sentence or common belief.
2. yet, but, however

   John har bott i staden i fem år, men aldrig besökt slottet.

   John has lived in the city for five years, yet never visited the castle.

Swedish - Etymology 2

From Old Norse mein, like Icelandic and Norwegian mein, Old Saxon mēn, Old English mān; cognate of Icelandic meinn ’which causes injury’ (adjective), Old English mĕn, mæ̆ne ’evil, deceptive’ (adjective), Lithuanian maĭnas ’change’ (noun), Proto-Slavic měna ’change’ (noun); from the Indo-European root mei- ’switch’ (verb).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meːn/

Noun

men n

1. a handicap, long-time remnant of a physical or mental injury, which affects a person negatively

Declension

Related terms

• menlös

Turkmen - Pronoun

men

1. (personal) I

Declension

قافية