-mans
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Latin mēns (“mind”). Cognate with English -ment, French -ment and Italian -mente.
Suffix
[edit]-mans
- (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the state of being (the adjective)", "the quality of being (the adjective)", or "the measure of being (the adjective)".
- (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Substitute for part of another word to disguise meaning.
Synonyms
[edit]- (form nouns): -ness
Derived terms
[edit]References
[edit]- Eric Partridge (1949) A Dictionary of the Underworld, London: Macmillan Co.