six-man
UK[ˈsɪks ˌmæn]US[ˈsɪks ˌmæn]
adj
Consisting of six people, especially a team or crew.
n
A group or team of six people.
Morpheme Breakdown
six
man
six
number
man
person
Etymology
The compound "six-man" is a transparent modern English formation, directly combining two native Germanic roots. "Six" descends from the Proto-Indo-European numeral swéḱs, which evolved predictably into the Old English siex. "Man" originates from the Proto-Germanic mann-, carrying the core sense of "human being" or "person." The compound logic is purely arithmetic and descriptive, with "man" used in its generalized sense of "person" or "participant." This pattern of "[number]-man" is productive in English for specifying the size of a team, crew, or unit, reflecting a straightforward and efficient method of lexical creation.
Analysis
Structure: six (number) + man (person)
- six: From Old English siex, sex, from Proto-Germanic sehs, from Proto-Indo-European swéḱs. Functions as a numerical root.
- man: From Old English mann (human being, person, adult male), from Proto-Germanic mann-, manw-. Functions as a noun root, here meaning "person" or "member".
Examples
They fielded a six-man team for the relay competition.
The operation requires a minimum six-man crew to be effective.
He played on the six-man football team in his small high school.