everyman
UK[ˈev.ri.mæn]US[ˈev.ri.mæn]
n
an ordinary person without special skills or status, who is seen as representing a typical human being
Morpheme Breakdown
every
man
every
each individual of a group
man
Etymology
The word 'everyman' is a transparent Modern English compound, directly combining the distributive term 'every' with the noun 'man'. Its formation follows a common Germanic pattern of creating compound nouns to express a universal or generic concept. The term gained its specific, personified meaning as a literary and philosophical archetype from the late 15th-century morality play The Summoning of Everyman, where the protagonist 'Everyman' represents all of humanity facing judgment. This solidified its modern sense, moving from a literal phrase ("each person") to a capitalized personification and finally to a common noun denoting an ordinary, representative human being.
Analysis
Structure: every + man
- every: From Old English ǽfre ǽlc (ever each). A compound word of Germanic origin, functioning as a distributive determiner meaning 'each individual of a group'.
- man: From Old English 'mann', meaning a human being, person, or adult male. Of Germanic origin, functioning as a noun.
Examples
The film's hero is an everyman who finds courage he never knew he had.
In his political campaign, he cultivated an image of the relatable everyman.
The character serves as an everyman, through whose eyes the audience experiences the strange new world.