Unmans

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To strip of manliness or courage | To render someone weak or lacking in bravery | To deprive an individual of masculine qualities or strength
2. To make someone feel weak or cowardly | To diminish a person's strength or courage | To take away qualities traditionally associated with masculinity and bravery
3. To cause a person to feel emasculated or less brave | To remove the traits of strength and courage from an individual | To render someone without the confidence or manly attributes typically expected

Etymology: The verb in question arises from the combination of the prefix "un-" and the verb "man." The base verb "man" has Old English roots in the word "mannian," meaning to furnish with people or to take control of something by placing a person there. This sense of "man" as to supply with personnel or to occupy dates back to the early medieval period. Adding the prefix "un-" typically negates the meaning of the base verb, creating a word that implies the removal or deprivation of what "man" provides. Therefore, this verb originally would mean to deprive of a person or persons, to remove the crew or occupants, or figuratively to strip of human qualities or control. Over time, this verb has also taken on a figurative and somewhat dramatic sense. In literature and speech, it can mean to cause someone to lose their composure, courage, or sense of agency—essentially, to make them feel less "manly" or capable, though such usage is more metaphorical. This reflects how language can extend a concrete action—removing people from a place—to an abstract psychological or emotional state. The verb entered English likely in the early modern period, when the prefix "un-" was regularly productive in forming opposites or reversals of verbs. Its use remains relatively rare and often literary or specialized, but its components are deeply rooted in English language history.