Mensch

See also: mensch, mènsch, and Mënsch

Bavarian

Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“human, man”). Cognates include German Mensch, Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, English mannish, Old Norse mennskr, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (mannisks).

The secondary usage meaning "girl" or "woman" derives via an archaic sense of "servant", subsequently narrowed specifically to serving girls. The supposed corruption of Mädchen (“girl”) to Mensch is a folk etymology, but did indirectly influence the gender of des Mensch ("the girl"), which is neuter in this usage (as opposed to the masculine da Mensch ("the person")).

Noun

Mensch m (accusative Menschen or Mensch'n, plural Menschen or Mensch'n or Menschn)

1. human, human being, man

Noun

Mensch n (plural Menscher, diminutive Menscherl)

1. female person, girl, woman

Derived terms

• Menscherer

Related terms

• Herrenmensch

German

Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“human, man”). Compare Yiddish מענטש (mentsh), Dutch mens, Danish menneske, Swedish människa, all with the primary sense of “person” or “human being”.

The dialectal usage meaning "girl" or "woman" derives via an archaic sense of "servant", subsequently narrowed specifically to serving girls. The supposed corruption of Mädchen (“girl”) to Mensch is a folk etymology, but did indirectly influence the gender of das Mensch ("the girl"), which is neuter in dialectal usage (as opposed to the masculine der Mensch ("the person") in Standard German).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛnʃ/, [mɛnʃ], [mɛnt͡ʃ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Homophone: mensch

Noun

Mensch m (weak, genitive Menschen, plural Menschen, diminutive Menschchen n or Menschlein n, feminine Mensch or Menschin)

1. human, human being, person, man

   Sie ist ein ganz toller Mensch.

   She is a really awesome person.

Usage notes

• Mensch is a weak noun in the standard language but is part of a group of nouns with a tendency to be strong colloquially, so one might hear dem Mensch instead of dem Menschen.
• In older literature, the genitive des Menschens occurs.
• The feminine die Menschin is very rare in actual use; most uses are jocular.

Declension

Declension of Mensch [masculine, weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Mensch	die	Menschen
genitive	eines	des	Menschen	der	Menschen
dative	einem	dem	Menschen	den	Menschen
accusative	einen	den	Menschen	die	Menschen

Hyponyms

• Bub m, Bube m, Junge m; Mädchen n
• Mann m; Frau f

Hyponyms

• Affenmensch (“apeman”)
• Ausnahmemensch (“exceptional person”) (philosophical, literary)
• Durchschnittsmensch (“average person/man/human being”)
• Edelmensch (“noble person”) (term coined by Karl May)
• Einzelmensch (“individual, individual person”) (philosophy, sociology, theology)
• Elefantenmensch (“Elephant Man”) (historical nickname)
• Erfolgsmensch (“highflyer, successful person, man of success”) (sociology)
• Frühmensch (“early man, early human, primitive man”) (anthropology)
• Genussmensch (“hedonist, sybarite, epicure, epicurean, pleasure-seeker”)
• Gottmensch (“God-man, Godman”) (Christian theology)
• Gutmensch
• Herrenmensch (“master human; member of the Master Race”)
• Höhlenmensch
• Jetztmensch (“present-day human/man/person”) (anthropology)
• Kopfmensch (“head person, cerebral person”) (psychology)
• Lebensmensch
• Nachtmensch
• Schlangenmensch (“contortionist”)
• Schneemensch (“Abominable Snowman, Yeti”) (cryptozoology)

Derived terms

• Arbeitsmensch
• Echsenmensch
• Familienmensch
• Gefühlsmensch
• Machtmensch
• Mensch ärgere Dich nicht
• Menschanschauung
• Menschenaffe
• Menschenfeind
• Menschenfleisch
• Menschenfresser
• Menschenfuß
• Menschengedenken
• menschengemacht
• Menschengeschlecht
• Menschenhand
• Menschenhandel
• Menschenjagd
• Menschenkenntnis
• Menschenkind
• Menschenleben
• menschenleer
• Menschenmenge
• Menschenmüll
• Menschenrasse
• Menschenscheu
• Menschensohn
• Menschentraube
• Menschenverstand
• Menschenversuch
• Menschenwelt
• Menschheit
• menschlich
• Menschwerdung
• Mitmensch
• Übermensch
• Unmensch
• Untermensch
• Vormensch

Noun

Mensch n (strong, genitive Mensches or Menschs, plural Menscher)

1. (dialectal, especially Southern Germany, Austria, now often derogatory) woman

Usage notes

• In older language a neutral term, then applied upon servants and dismissively as “baggage, broad”.

Declension

Declension of Mensch [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Mensch	die	Menscher
genitive	eines	des	Mensches, Menschs	der	Menscher
dative	einem	dem	Mensch, Mensche1	den	Menschern
accusative	ein	das	Mensch	die	Menscher

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Fraumensch n, Frauenmensch n, Frauensmensch
• Weibsmensch n

Interjection

Mensch

1. man! rah!

Synonyms

• Mann, Mannomann (mannomann), manno (Manno), menno, krass

Further reading

• “Mensch” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Mensch (Frau)” in Duden online
• “Mensch (Lebewesen, Individuum)” in Duden online
• “Mensch” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “Mensch”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
• “Mensch” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German mensche, mensch, from Old High German mennisko, a substantivization of the adjective mennisk, from man.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛnʃ
• Syllabification: Mensch

Noun

Mensch m (plural Mensche)

1. human, human being, person

   Keen Mensch konnd do leve.

   No human being could live here.

Derived terms

• Menschheet
• menschlich

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German mensche, minsche, from Old Saxon mennisk, mennisko, from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz.

Noun

Mensch m (plural Menschen)

1. human, human being, person