mane

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmaː.nɛ]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmaː.ne]^[1]

Forms

māne (not comparable)^[1] Plautus and Lucilius have an ablative mānī.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is related to ⟨mānus⟩ “good”, an old word that survives in immānis and ⟨Mānēs⟩, so originally “at the good time”.^[2][1] Wiktionary relates it to mātūrus “ripe, early”, the source of English ⟨mature⟩.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, “in the morning”, and Plautus has ā mānī ad vesperum “from morning to evening”.^[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As an adverb it meant early in the day, in the morning, and on the next morning; as an indeclinable noun it meant the morning, all in Plautus.^[2] Māne prīmō and māne summō meant very early.^[4]

It survives in Italian mane and Romanian mâine “tomorrow”, and Old French main “morning”.^[1] Its derivative mātūtīnus lies behind English matins.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4]
• mid-13th century – English matins is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In the morning, early.^[2]
2. Next morning.^[2]

Noun

1. The morning.^[2]

Word family

• demane
• mānicō

Related words

• mātūrus
• mātūtīnus
• immānis
• English matins

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com