mensk
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From an early Scandinavian form (compare Old Norse menskr (“human”)), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). Compare mannish. Cognate with Dutch mens (“human, humanity”), German Mensch (“man, human”), Danish menneske (“human”), Swedish människa (“human, human being, person”), Icelandic manneskja (“person, human being”). See also mense, mennish.
Adjective
mensk (comparative more mensk, superlative most mensk)
- (obsolete) Honourable. [14th-15th c.]
Noun
mensk (uncountable)
- (now rare, archaic, poetic) Dignity, honour. [from 13th c.]
- 2015, LT Wolf, The World King (fiction), →ISBN:
- … it’s not about mensk as they say it is, but it is truly about some twisted, dumb, and unmanly pride.
Verb
mensk (third-person singular simple present mensks, present participle mensking, simple past and past participle mensked)
- (obsolete) To honour, dignify. [13th-16th c.]
- c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, III:
- Ȝit I may as I myȝte · menske þe with ȝiftes / And mayntene þi manhode · more þan þow knoweste.
- c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, III:
Related terms
Middle English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old Norse menskr (“human”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). Cognate with Old English mennisc (“human”). More at mennish.
Adjective
mensk
- honorable, praiseworthy; beautiful; human
- More mensk it is manliche to deie þan for to fle couwarli — William of Palerne, 1375
Noun
mensk (plural mensken)
- honor, repute; kindness, dignity, humanity; beauty, fairness
- Ase feole siðen as þu ouerkimest him, ase feole crunen, þet is to seggen, ase feole mensken of misliche murhðen. — Ancrene Wisse, c1230
- (but as many times as you overcome him, as many crowns, that is to say, so many honors of various joys.)
- Amid te menske of þi neb, þet is, þe fehereste deal … — Ancrene Wisse, c1230
- (Amid the beauty of thy face, that is, the fairest part …)
- To saue ᵹour mensk, I wol ᵹow telle tiᵹtly what turn sche as wrouᵹt. — William of Palerne, 1375
- Ase feole siðen as þu ouerkimest him, ase feole crunen, þet is to seggen, ase feole mensken of misliche murhðen. — Ancrene Wisse, c1230
Verb
mensk (third-person singular simple present mensketh, present participle menskende, menskynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle mensked)
- to honor, glorify, worship
Related terms
References
- “mensk”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- Middle English Dictionary
- English terms derived from Old Norse
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English nouns
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- English terms with rare senses
- English terms with archaic senses
- English poetic terms
- English terms with quotations
- English verbs
- Middle English terms derived from Old Norse
- Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English adjectives
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- Middle English verbs