- Argentine name for the Falkland Islands, from French Malouins, name for inhabitants of the French city of St. Malo, who attempted a colony there in 1764 under Louis-Antoine de Bougainville.
- malware (n.)
- 1997, from mal- + -ware, from software, etc.
- 1707, spelling variant of mamma. Meaning "sexually attractive woman" first recorded 1925 in black slang; mama's boy "soft, effeminate male" is from 1901.
- mamba (n.)
- large venomous African snake, 1862, from Zulu (i)mamba or Swahili mamba.
- mambo (n.)
- popular dance (like the rhumba but livelier), September 1948, from American Spanish mambo, said by Webster to be from Haitian creole word for "voodoo priestess."
- Egyptian dynasty 1254-1517, originally a military unit comprised of Caucasian slaves, from Middle French mameluk and directly from Arabic mamluk "purchased slave," literally "possessed," from past participle of malaka "he possessed" (cf. Arabic malik, Hebrew melekh "king").
- mamma (n.)
- 1570s, representing the native form of the reduplication of *ma- that is nearly universal among the Indo-European languages (cf. Greek mamme "mother, grandmother," Latin mamma, Persian mama, Russian and Lithuanian mama "mother," German Muhme "mother's sister," French maman, Welsh mam "mother"). Probably a natural sound in baby-talk, perhaps imitative of sound made while sucking.
Its late appearance in English is curious, but Middle English had mome (mid-13c.) "an aunt; an old woman," also an affectionate term of address for an older woman. In educated usage, the stress is always on the last syllable. In terms of recorded usage of related words in English, mama is from 1707, mum is from 1823, mummy in this sense from 1839, mommy 1844, momma 1852, and mom 1867.
- mammal (n.)
- 1826, anglicized form of Modern Latin Mammalia (1773), coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from neuter plural of Late Latin mammalis "of the breast," from Latin mamma "breast," perhaps cognate with mamma.
- Mammalia (n.)
- 1773, from Modern Latin (Linnaeus), from neuter plural of Late Latin mammalis, from mamma (see mammal).
- mammalian (adj.)
- 1813, from mammal + -ian. As a noun, from 1835.
- mammary (adj.)
- 1680s, from French mammaire (18c.), from Latin mamma "breast," probably from the child's word for "mother" (see mamma).
- word-forming element meaning "breast," from Latin mamma "breast" (see mammal).
- mammogram (n.)
- 1937, from mammo- + -gram.
- mammography (n.)
- 1937, from mammo- + -graphy.
- Mammon (n.)
- "personification of wealth," mid-14c., from Late Latin mammona, from Greek mamonas, from Aramaic mamona, mamon "riches, gain;" left untranslated in Greek New Testament (e.g. Matt. vi:24, Luke xvi:9-13) retained in the Vulgate, and regarded mistakenly by medieval Christians as the name of a demon.
- mammoth (n.)
- 1706, from Russian mammot', probably from Ostyak, a Finno-Ugric language of northern Russia (cf. Finnish maa "earth"). Because the remains were dug from the earth, the animal was believed to root like a mole. As an adjective, "gigantic," from 1802; in this sense "the word appears to be originally American" [Thornton, "American Glossary"], and its first uses are in derogatory accounts to the cheese wheel, more than 4 feet in diameter, sent to President Jefferson by the ladies of the Baptist congregation in Cheshire, Mass., as a present, engraved with the motto "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Federalist editors mocked the affair, and called up the word mammoth (known from Peale's exhibition) to characterize it.
- mammy (n.)
- 1520s, diminutive of mam (see mamma). Meaning "black woman having the care of white children" is by 1837, Southern U.S. dialect, variant of mamma.
- mamzer (n.)
- "bastard," 1560s, from Late Latin mamzer, from Hebrew mamzer, left untranslated in Deut. xxiii:2 in the Vulgate.
- man (n.)
- Old English man, mann "human being, person (male or female); brave man, hero; servant, vassal," from Proto-Germanic *manwaz (cf. Old Saxon, Swedish, Dutch, Old High German man, German Mann, Old Norse maðr, Danish mand, Gothic manna "man"), from PIE root *man- (1) "man" (cf. Sanskrit manuh, Avestan manu-, Old Church Slavonic mozi, Russian muzh "man, male").
Plural men (German Männer) shows effects of i-mutation. Sometimes connected to root *men- "to think" (see mind), which would make the ground sense of man "one who has intelligence," but not all linguists accept this. Liberman, for instance, writes, "Most probably man 'human being' is a secularized divine name" from Mannus [cf. Tacitus, "Germania," chap. 2], "believed to be the progenitor of the human race."
So I am as he that seythe, `Come hyddr John, my man.' 
Sense of "adult male" is late (c.1000); Old English used wer and wif to distinguish the sexes, but wer began to disappear late 13c. and was replaced by man. Universal sense of the word remains in mankind and manslaughter. Similarly, Latin had homo "human being" and vir "adult male human being," but they merged in Vulgar Latin, with homo extended to both senses. A like evolution took place in Slavic languages, and in some of them the word has narrowed to mean "husband." PIE had two stems: *uiHro "freeman" (cf. Sanskrit vira-, Lithuanian vyras, Latin vir, Old Irish fer, Gothic wair) and *hner "man," a title more of honor than *uiHro (cf. Sanskrit nar-, Armenian ayr, Welsh ner, Greek aner).
MAN TRAP. A woman's commodity. ["Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence," London, 1811]
Man also was in Old English as an indefinite pronoun, "one, people, they." The chess pieces so called from c.1400. As an interjection of surprise or emphasis, first recorded c.1400, but especially popular from early 20c. Man-about-town is from 1734; the Man "the boss" is from 1918. To be man or mouse "be brave or be timid" is from 1540s. Men's Liberation first attested 1970.
At the kinges court, my brother, Ech man for himself. [Chaucer, "Knight's Tale," c.1386]
- man (v.)
- Old English mannian "to furnish (a fort, ship, etc.) with a company of men," from man (n.). Meaning "to take up a designated position on a ship" is first recorded 1690s. Meaning "behave like a man, act with courage" is from c.1400. To man (something) out is from 1660s. Related: Manned; manning.
- man-eater (n.)
- also maneater, c.1600, "cannibal," from man (n.) + eater (see eat). From 1837 in reference to animals (sharks); 1862 of tigers; 1906 of women. Related: Man-eating.
- man-hater (n.)
- "misanthrope," 1570s, from man (n.) + hater. Old English had mannhata "man-hater."
- man-like (adj.)
- also manlike, mid-15c., from man (n.) + like (adj.).
- man-of-war (n.)
- late 14c., "a soldier," from man (n.) + war. Meaning "vessel equipped for warfare" is from late 15c. Man in the sense of "a ship" is attested from late 15c. in combinations (e.g. merchantman). The sea creature known as the Portuguese man-of-war (1707) is so called for its sail-like crest.
- mana (n.)
- "power, authority, supernatural power," 1843, from Maori, "power, authority, supernatural power."
- manacle (n.)
- mid-14c., "a fetter for the hand," from Old French manicle "manacles, handcuffs; bracelet; armor for the hands," from Latin manicula "handle," literally "little hand," diminutive of manicae "long sleeves of a tunic, gloves; armlets, gauntlets; handcuffs, manacles," from manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)). Related: Manacles.
In every cry of every man,
In every infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear
[Blake, "Songs of Experience"]
- manacle (v.)
- c.1300, "to fetter with manacles," from manacle (n.). Related: Manacled; manacling.
- manage (v.)
- 1560s, probably from Italian maneggiare "to handle," especially "to control a horse," ultimately from Latin noun manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)). Influenced by French manège "horsemanship" (earliest English sense was of handling horses), which also was from Italian. Extended to other objects or business from 1570s. Slang sense of "get by" first recorded 1650s. Related: Managed; managing. Managed economy was used by 1933.
- manageability (n.)
- 1813, from manageable + -ity.
- manageable (adj.)
- 1590s, from manage + -able. Related: Manageably.
- management (n.)
- 1590s, "act of managing," from manage + -ment. Meaning "governing body" (originally of a theater) is from 1739.
- manager (n.)
- 1580s, "one who manages," agent noun from manage. Specific sense of "one who conducts a house of business or public institution" is from 1705.
- managerial (adj.)
- 1767, see manager + -al (1).
- managery (n.)
- "domestic administration" (obsolete), 1630s, from manager + -y (1); or perhaps from manage + -ery.
- from Spanish mañana, "tomorrow," from cras manñana, literally "tomorrow early," from Vulgar Latin *maneana "early," from Latin mane "in the morning," from PIE *ma- "good," with notion of "occurring at a good time, timely, early" (cf. matins; and see mature (v.)).
- manatee (n.)
- 1550s, from Spanish manati (1530s), from Carib manati "breast, udder." Often associated with Latin manatus "having hands," because the flippers resemble hands.
- Mameceastre (1086), from Mamucio (4c.), the original Celtic name, perhaps from *mamm "breast, breast-like hill" + Old English ceaster "Roman town" (see Chester). Adjective Mancunian is from the Medieval Latin form of the place-name, Mancunium.
- manchild (n.)
- also man-child, "male child, male infant," c.1400, from man (n.) + child.
- 1650s, member of Tungusic race of Manchuria which conquered China in 1644 and remained its ruling class until the Revolution of 1912. From Manchu, literally "pure," name of the tribe descended from the Nu-chen Tartars.
- named for the Manchu (literally "pure") people + -ia. Related: Manchurian. Manchurian Candidate is 1959 as a novel, 1962 as a film.
- mancinism (n.)
- "left-handedness," 1890, from Italian mancinissmo, from mancino "infirm (in the hand)," from manco, from Latin mancus "maimed, infirm, crippled, lame-handed" (see manque).
- manciple (n.)
- "officer or servant who purchases provisions for a college, monastery, etc.," early 13c., from Old French mancipe "servant, official, manciple," from Latin mancipium "servant, slave, slave obtained by legal transfer; the legal purchase of a thing," literally "a taking in hand," from manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + root of capere "to take" (see capable).
- mandala (n.)
- magic circle, 1859, from Sanskrit mandala "disc, circle."
- mandamus (n.)
- 1530s, "writ from a superior court to an inferior one, specifying that something be done," (late 14c. in Anglo-French), from Latin, literally "we order," first person plural present indicative of mandare "to order" (see mandate (n.)).
- mandarin (n.)
- "Chinese official," 1580s, via Portuguese mandarim or older Dutch mandorijn from Malay mantri, from Hindi mantri "councilor, minister of state," from Sanskrit mantri, nominative of mantrin- "advisor," from mantra "counsel," from PIE root *men- "to think" (see mind (n.)).
Form influenced in Portuguese by mandar "to command, order." Used generically for the several grades of Chinese officials; sense of "chief dialect of Chinese" (spoken by officials and educated people) is from c.1600. Transferred sense of "important person" attested by 1907. The type of small, deep-colored orange so called from 1771, from resemblance of its color to that of robes worn by mandarins.
- mandatary (n.)
- "person to whom a mandate has been given," 1610s, from Latin mandatarius "one to whom a charge or commission has been given," from mandatus, past participle of mandare (see mandate (n.)).
- mandate (n.)
- "judicial or legal order," c.1500, from Middle French mandat (15c.) and directly from Latin mandatum "commission, command, order," noun use of neuter past participle of mandare "to order, commit to one's charge," literally "to give into one's hand," probably from manus "hand" (see manual) + dare "to give" (see date (n.1)). Political sense of "approval supposedly conferred by voters to the policies or slogans advocated by winners of an election" is from 1796. League of Nations sense is from 1919.
- mandate (v.)
- 1620s, "to command," from mandate (n.). Meaning "to delegate authority, permit to act on behalf of a group" is from 1958; used earlier in the context of the League of Nations, "to authorize a power to control a certain territory for some specified purpose" (1919). Related: Mandated; mandating.
- mandatory (adj.)
- 1570s, "of the nature of a mandate," from Late Latin mandatorius "pertaining to a mandator," from Latin mandatus, past participle of mandare (see mandate (n.)). Sense of "obligatory because commanded" is from 1818.
- mandible (n.)
- late 14c., "jaw, jawbone," from Middle French mandible and directly from Late Latin mandibula "jaw," from Latin mandere "to chew," from PIE root *mendh- "to chew" (cf. Greek mastax "the mouth, that with which one chews; morsel, that which is chewed," masasthai "to chew," mastikhan "to gnash the teeth"). Of insect mouth parts from 1826.