mane
UK[meɪn]US[meɪn]
n
the long, thick hair that grows from the neck of a horse, lion, or some other animals.
n
a person's long, thick hair.
Etymology
the word 'mane' has a direct lineage from old english, maintaining its core meaning of long neck hair throughout its history. it descends from the proto-germanic manō, which in turn finds its origin in the proto-indo-european root mon-, meaning 'neck' or 'nape'. this etymological path highlights a consistent focus on the anatomical feature from which the hair grows. the semantic evolution is straightforward, broadening only slightly from its primary association with animals to also describe luxuriant human hair.
Analysis
the word is a simplex. it is derived from old english 'manu', meaning 'mane of a horse', which is of germanic origin and related to dutch 'mane' and german 'mähne'. it is traced back to proto-indo-european mon-.
Examples
the lion shook its magnificent mane.
she tossed back her mane of dark hair.
the horse's mane was braided for the competition.