Inherited fromMiddle Bretonmen, fromOld Bretonmain,[1] fromProto-Brythonic*maɣɨn(Canthis(+) etymology besourced?), fromProto-Celtic*maginos.[1]Cognate withCornishmen,Welshmaen.
| unmutated | soft | aspirate | hard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | maen | vaen | unchanged | unchanged |
| plural | mein | vein | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Breton.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
maen f (pluralmaenen,diminutivemaentje n)
Old Frenchmain,mein,man, fromLatinmanus(“hand”), fromProto-Italic*manus, perhaps fromProto-Indo-European*méh₂-r̥ ~ *mh₂-én-, derived fromProto-Indo-European*(s)meh₂-(“to beckon”), or perhaps from aProto-Indo-European*mon-u- (see the Proto-Italic entry). CompareFrenchmain,Spanishmano.
maen m
FromMiddle Welshmaen, fromProto-Brythonic*maɣɨn, fromProto-Celtic*maginos. CompareBretonmaen,Cornishmen.
maen
Only used in conjunction with the third person plural pronounnhw. In conjunction with a plural noun, the formmae is used instead.
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| maen | faen | unchanged | unchanged |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
maen
