mannish

adj

Etymology: From Middle English mannish, mannisshe, mannysh, from earlier mennish (“human”), from Old English mennisċ (“human, natural, humane”), from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). By surface analysis, man + -ish. Doublet of mennish, mense, and mensch.

1. Resembling or characteristic of a man, masculine.

   “A woman impudent and mannish grown Is not more loathed than an effeminate man In time of action.”

   “She detested the look of herself in large goggles, detested being forced to tie on her hat, detested the heavy, mannish coat of rough tweed that Sir Philip insisted she must wear when motoring.”

2. Resembling or characteristic of a grown man (as opposed to a boy); mature, adult.

   “And let us, Polydore, though now our voices Have got the mannish crack, sing him to the ground,”

   “And so, with an air of mannish superiority, he seems rather to pity the bashful girl, than to apprehend that he shall not succeed.”

3. Impertinent; assertive.

   “2014, Kurt Campbell, “Police left 15-year-old to die — Relatives,” inewsguyana.com, 11 March, 2014, “They could have saved his life because he was still living, one woman said when she told the police that the boy was alive he said leave him to die, he’s wanted,” Giddings cried, adding that “I know he bad, he mannish, he does misbehave but I never know he was wanted… how can they make the claim without medical assistance.””

4. Precocious.
5. Resembling or characteristic of a human being, in form or nature; human.

   “The Westron was a Mannish speech, though enriched and softened under Elvish influence.”