What does -man mean?

The combining form -man is used like a suffix meaning “man,” most often to indicate a man who performs a particular job or function. It is often used in a variety of technical and everyday terms.

The form -man comes from Old English mann, which could refer to both an adult male and a human being in general.

What are variants of -man?

The plural form of -man is -men, as in firemen. The female equivalent of -man is -woman, as in saleswoman. However, use of this kind of gendered language for professions has decreased in recent years, with gender-neutral terms often being preferred. Namely, the ending -person is often used, as in salesperson. Some terms are changed altogether, such as mail carrier being used instead of mailman. Still, some people may prefer to use the gender-specific version of a term that applies to them—a mailman may prefer to call himself a mailman and congresswoman may prefer to call herself a congresswoman, for example.

For more guidance, check out the Thesaurus.com guide to gender-neutral language.

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man

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