An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Mensch

by Friedrich Kluge

Mensch, m. and n., from the equiv. MidHG. męnsch, męnsche, m. and n., ‘man, person, fellow,’ OHG. męnnisco, mannisco, m.; comp. OSax. męnnisco, Du. mensch, ‘person.’ Simply a West Teut. form, prop. an adj. used as a subst., hence ‘humanus’ for ‘homo.’ The adj. on which it is based is derived with the suffix iska (HG. isch) from mann-, ‘homo’; Goth. mannisks, OIc. mennskr, AS., OSax., and OHG. męnnisc, ‘humanus, human’ (comp. further AS. męnnesc, ‘humanity’); comp. manušýa as an adj. ‘human,’ and as masc. subst. ‘man,’ with Sans. mánu, mánus-, ‘man’ (see further under Mann). — Mensch in the neut. gender appears even in MidHG., and was used till the 17th cent. without any contemptuous meaning; the neut. was generally applied to female servants, but that signification became obsolete in the last cent., and a moral sense was attached to the word.