Online Etymology Dictionary

mane (n.): Old English manu "mane," from Proto-Germanic *mano (source also of Old Norse mön, Old Frisian mana, Middle Dutch mane, Dutch manen, Old High German mana, German Mähne "mane"), from PIE *mon- "neck, nape of the neck" (source also of Sanskrit manya "nape of the neck," Old English mene "necklace," Latin monile "necklace," Welsh mwng "mane," Old Church Slavonic monisto, Old Irish muin "neck").
manege (n.): 1640s, "riding school;" 1776, "horsemanship, movements proper to a trained horse," from French manège, from Italian maneggio, from maneggiare "to control (a horse)," (see manage (v.)).
Manes (pl.): "Gods of the Lower World," in Roman religion, from Latin manes "departed spirit, ghost, shade of the dead, deified spirits of the underworld," usually said to be from Latin manus "good," thus properly "the good gods," a euphemistic word, but Tucker suggests a possible connection instead to macer, thus "the thin or unsubstantial ones."
maneuver (n.): "planned movement of troops or warship," 1758, from French manoeuvre "manipulation, maneuver," from Old French manovre "manual labor" 13c.), from Medieval Latin manuopera (source of Spanish maniobra, Italian manovra), from manuoperare "work with the hands," from Latin manu operari, from manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + operari "to work, operate" (see operation). The same word had been borrowed from French into Middle English in a sense "hand-labor" (late 15c.). General meaning "artful plan, adroit movement" is from 1774. Related: Maneuvers.
maneuver (v.): 1777, from maneuver (n.), or else from French manœurvrer "work, work with one's hands; carry out, prepare" (12c.), from Medieval Latin manuoperare. Originally in a military sense. Figurative use from 1801. Related: Maneuvered; maneuvering.
maneuverability (n.): 1917, from maneuverable + -ity.
maneuverable (adj.): 1913, from maneuver + -able.
manful (adj.): late 14c., "courageous, brave, resolute," from man (n.) + -ful.
manfully (adv.): c. 1400, from manful + -ly (2). Old English had manlice "manfully, nobly."
manga (n.): "Japanese comic books or graphic novels," c. 1984, from Japanese, "cartoon, caricature," literally "involuntary pictures." Term said to have been coined 1814 by artist Katsushika Hokusai to "convey a sense of free-flowing composition and quirky style." See anime.
manganese (n.): 1670s as the name of a mineral, oxide of manganese, from French manganèse (16c.), from Italian manganese, alteration or corruption of Medieval Latin magnesia (see magnesia). From 1783 in English as the name of an element.
mange (n.): "skin disease of animals," early 15c., from Old French manjue "the itch," also "hunger, appetite; itching, longing," literally "the eating," verbal noun from a collateral form of Old French mangier "to eat" (Modern French manger) "to eat," from Late Latin manducare "to chew, eat," from manducus "glutton," from Latin mandere "to chew" (see mandible).
manger (n.): early 14c., from Old French mangeoire "crib, manger," from mangier "to eat" (see mange) + -oire, common suffix for implements and receptacles.
mangle (v.): "to mutilate," c. 1400, from Anglo-French mangler, frequentative of Old French mangoner "cut to pieces," of uncertain origin, perhaps connected with Old French mahaignier "to maim, mutilate, wound" (see maim). Meaning "to mispronounce (words), garble" is from 1530s. Related: Mangled; mangling.
mangle (n.): clothes-pressing machine, 1774, from Dutch mangel, apparently short for mangelstok, from stem of mangelen to mangle, from Middle Dutch mange, ultimately from root of mangonel.
mango (n.): 1580s, from Portuguese manga, from Malay mangga, from Tamil mankay, from man "mango tree" + kay "fruit." Mango trees were brought from Timor to British gardens in Jamaica and St. Vincent 1793 by Capt. Bligh on his second voyage.
mangonel (n.): "military engine for hurling stones," mid-13c., from Old French mangonel "catapult, war engine for throwing stones, etc." (Modern French mangonneau), diminutive of Medieval Latin mangonum, from Vulgar Latin *manganum "machine," from Greek manganon "any means of tricking or bewitching," from PIE *mang- "to embellish, dress, trim" (source also of Old Prussian manga "whore," Middle Irish meng "craft, deception"). Attested from c. 1200 in Anglo-Latin.
mangrove (n.): 1610s, mangrow, probably from Spanish mangle, mangue (1530s), which is perhaps from Carib or Arawakan. Modern spelling in English (1690s) is from influence of grove. A Malay origin also has been proposed, but it is difficult to explain how it came to be used for an American plant.
mangy (adj.): by 1745, from mange + -y (2).
manhandle (v.): mid-15c., "wield a tool," also, late 15c., "to attack (an enemy)," from man (n.) + handle (v.). Nautical meaning "to move by force of men" (without levers or tackle) is attested from 1834, and is the source of the slang meaning "to handle roughly" (1865).
[T]he two Canalers rushed into the uproar, and sought to drag their man out of it toward the forecastle. Others of the sailors joined with them in this attempt, and a twisted turmoil ensued; while standing out of harm's way, the valiant captain danced up and down with a whale-pike, calling upon his officers to manhandle that atrocious scoundrel, and smoke him along to the quarter-deck. [Melville, "The Town-Ho's Story," "Harper's" magazine, October 1851]
Manhattan: main island of New York City, from Dutch, from a native name, perhaps representing a Delaware (Algonquian) source akin to Munsee munahan "island." Bright favors Munsee /e:nta menahahte:nk/ "where one gathers bows." As the name of a cocktail made of vermouth, whiskey, and a dash of bitters, it is attested from 1890 (in Manhattan cocktail).
manhole (n.): also man-hole, "hole through which a person may pass," 1793, from man (n.) + hole (n.).
manhood (n.): early 13c., "state of being human," from man (n.) + -hood. Meanings "state of being an adult male," also "manliness," are from late 14c. Similar words in Old English were less explicitly masculine: manscipe "humanity, courtesy," literally "man-ship;" mennisclicnes "state of man, humanity, humaneness, human nature." The more "manly" word was werhad "male sex, virility, manhood" (see first element in werewolf).
mania (n.): late 14c., "mental derangement characterized by excitement and delusion," from Late Latin mania "insanity, madness," from Greek mania "madness, frenzy; enthusiasm, inspired frenzy; mad passion, fury," related to mainesthai "to rage, go mad," mantis "seer," menos "passion, spirit," all from PIE *men- (1) "to think, to have one's mind aroused, rage, be furious" (see mind (n.)). Sense of "fad, craze" is 1680s, from French manie in this sense. Sometimes nativized in Middle English as manye. Used since 1500s (in imitation of Greek) as the second element in compounds expressing particular types of madness (such as nymphomania, 1775; kleptomania, 1830; megalomania, 1890).
maniac (adj.): c. 1600, "pertaining to mania; insane," from French maniaque (14c.), from Late Latin maniacus, from Greek maniakos, from mania (see mania). Borrowed at first in French form; Latinized in English from 1727. The noun is attested from 1763, from the adjective.
maniacal (adj.): 1670s, from maniac (adj.) + -al (1). Related: Maniacally.
manic (adj.): "pertaining to or affected with mania," 1902, from mania + -ic. The clinical term manic depressive also is from 1902; manic depression is first attested 1903.
Manichaean: also Manichean, 1550s (n.), 1630s (adj.), from Latin Manichaeus (see Manichaeism).
Manichaeism (n.): 1550s, "the religion of the Manichees" (late 14c.) a Gnostic Christian sect named for its founder, Mani (Latin Manichæus), c.215-275, Syriac-speaking apostle from a Jesus cult in Mesopotamia in 240s, who taught a universal religion. Vegetarian and visionary, they saw "particles of light and goodness" trapped in evil matter and regarded Satan as co-eternal with God. The universe was a scene of struggle between good and evil. The sect was characterized by dualism and a double-standard of perfectionist "elects" and a larger group of fellow travelers who would require several reincarnations before their particles of light would be liberated.
manicure (n.): 1873, "one who professionally treats hands and fingernails," from French manicure, literally "the care of the hands," from Latin manus "hand" (see manual) + cura "care" (see cure (n.1)). Meaning "treatment and care of the hands and fingernails" is attested from 1887.
manicure (v.): 1889, from manicure (n.). Related: Manicured; manicuring.
manicurist (n.): 1884, from manicure (n.) after its sense shifted + -ist.
manifest (adj.): late 14c., "clearly revealed," from Old French manifest "evident, palpable," (12c.), or directly from Latin manifestus "plainly apprehensible, clear, apparent, evident;" of offenses, "proved by direct evidence;" of offenders, "caught in the act," probably from manus "hand" (see manual) + -festus "struck" (compare second element of infest).
Other nations have tried to check ... the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the Continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. [John O'Sullivan (1813-1895), "U.S. Magazine & Democratic Review," July 1845]
The phrase apparently is O'Sullivan's coinage; the notion is as old as the republic.
manifest (v.): late 14c., "to spread" (one's fame), "to show plainly," from manifest (adj.) or else from Latin manifestare "to discover, disclose, betray" (see manifest (adj.)). Meaning "to display by actions" is from 1560s; reflexive sense, of diseases, etc., "to reveal as in operation" is from 1808. Related: Manifested; manifesting.
manifest (n.): "ship's cargo," 1706; see manifest (adj.). Earlier, "a public declaration" (c. 1600; compare manifesto), from French manifeste, verbal noun from manifester. Earlier still in English as "a manifestation" (1560s).
manifestation (n.): early 15c., "action of manifesting; exhibition, demonstration," from Late Latin manifestationem (nominative manifestatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin manifestare (see manifest (adj.)). Meaning "an object, action, or presence by which something is made manifest" is from 1785. The spiritualism sense is attested from 1853.
manifestly (adv.): "clearly," early 15c., from manifest (adj.) + -ly (2).
manifesto (n.): "public declaration," 1640s, from Italian manifesto "public declaration explaining past actions and announcing the motive for forthcoming ones," originally "proof," from Latin manifestus (see manifest (adj.)).
manifold (adj.): Old English monigfald (Anglian), manigfeald (West Saxon), "various, varied in appearance, complicated; numerous, abundant," from manig (see many) + -feald (see -fold). A common Germanic compound (Old Frisian manichfald, Middle Dutch menichvout, German mannigfalt, Swedish mångfalt, Gothic managfalþs), perhaps a loan-translation of Latin multiplex (see multiply). Retains the original pronunciation of many. Old English also had a verbal form, manigfealdian "to multiply, abound, increase, extend."
manifold (adv.): Old English manigfealdlic "in various ways, manifoldly," from the source of manifold (adj.).
manifold (n.): in mechanical sense, first as "pipe or chamber with several outlets," 1884, see manifold (adj.); originally as manifold pipe (1857), with reference to a type of musical instrument mentioned in the Old Testament.
manikin (n.): 1560s, "jointed figure used by artists," from Dutch manneken, literally "little man," diminutive of Middle Dutch man (see man (n.)). Sense and spelling often blended with mannequin.
Manila: 1690s, capital of the Philippines, gave its name (with altered spelling) to manilla hemp (1814), original source of manilla paper (1832). Said to be from Tagalog may "there is" + nila "shrub of the indigo family," but this would not be a native word.
manilla (1): variant of Manila, especially in manilla paper (1832).
manilla (2): "ring, bracelet," from Spanish manilla, from Latin monilia, plural of monile "collar, necklace" (see mane). Influenced in Spanish by Spanish mano "hand."
manioc (n.): 1560s, from Tupi manioch, mandioca, name for the root of the cassava plant.
manipulable (adj.): 1859, from manipulate + -able. Related: Manipulability.
manipulate (v.): 1827, "to handle skillfully by hand," a back-formation from manipulation. Of mental influence, from 1864. Financial sense is from 1870. In mid-20c., it served as a euphemism for "masturbation." Related: Manipulated; manipulating.
manipulation (n.): c. 1730, a method of digging ore, from French manipulation, from manipule "handful" (a pharmacists' measure), from Latin manipulus "handful, sheaf, bundle," from manus "hand" (see manual) + root of plere "to fill" (see pleio-). Sense of "skillful handling of objects" is first recorded 1826; extended 1828 to "handling of persons" as well as objects.
manipulative (adj.): 1816, in literal sense, from manipulate + -ive. Related: Manipulatively; manipulativeness.