מָן
𐤌𐤍
mân
H4479 pronoun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An interrogative and indefinite pronoun used primarily to ask or refer to a person: 'who?' When employed relatively or indefinitely, it can mean 'whoever,' 'anyone who,' or refer to someone unknown or unspecified. Unlike Hebrew מִי (mi), which is the standard interrogative pronoun for 'who' in Hebrew, מָן (man) is used in Biblical Aramaic reflecting the same function within the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible. Its semantic range extends to relative and indefinite references, not exclusively direct questions.
Semantic Range
who?; whoever; anyone who; someone unspecified; interrogative pronoun for persons; relative or indefinite reference to persons
Root / Etymology
From the root מָה (Aramaic or parallel to Hebrew), meaning 'what.' The form מָן (man) is distinct to Aramaic, developing its meaning specifically as an interrogative/relative pronoun for persons, whereas מָה is primarily used for things ('what') in both languages. Thus, מָן is a specialized form derived within the Aramaic pronoun system. The root is generally associated with inquiry or specification (who? what?).
Historical & Contextual Notes
מָן occurs only in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel and Ezra) where Biblical Aramaic is used. It should not be confused with Hebrew מָה (mah, 'what'), which refers to things or objects. In later Aramaic dialects and rabbinic texts, מָן continues as the interrogative pronoun for persons. English translations often capture the basic sense adequately with 'who?' or 'whoever,' but the indefinite and relative usages ('anyone who,' 'whoever') can be nuanced by context. The use in relative or concessive constructions is important for interpreting narrative and legal passages in Aramaic. The form does not occur in standard Biblical Hebrew; in those sections, מִי (mi) is standard for 'who.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from מָה; who or what (properly, interrogatively, hence, also indefinitely and relatively); what, who(-msoever, [phrase] -so).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מה (m-h) — what, inquiry, question
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1099 | בְּלִימָה | what? |
| H1117 | בָּמָה | in what? |
| H4100 | מָה | with what? |
| H4101 | מָה | for what? |
| H4478 | מָן | the what-is-it |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4479-02 |
וּ/לְ/מַן | uleman | AC/R/Pfxcs |
and to whom | and to whoever | 4 |
H4479-03 |
וּ/מַן | uman | AC/Pf3bs |
and who | and who | 3 |
H4479-01 |
מַן | man | APi3ms |
who | what-substance | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4479-03 |
Daniel 3:6 | וּ/מַן | uman | AC/Pf3bs |
whoever | and who |
H4479-03 |
Daniel 3:11 | וּ/מַן | uman | AC/Pf3cs |
and whoever | and who |
H4479-03 |
Daniel 3:15 | וּ/מַן | uman | AC/Pi3cs |
and who | and who |
H4479-02 |
Daniel 4:14 | וּ/לְ/מַן | uleman | AC/R/Pfxcs |
and to whom | and to whoever |
H4479-02 |
Daniel 4:22 | וּ/לְ/מַן | uleman | AC/R/Prxcs |
and-to-whom | and to whoever |
H4479-02 |
Daniel 4:29 | וּ/לְ/מַן | uleman | AC/R/Prxcs |
and-to-whom | and to whoever |
H4479-02 |
Daniel 5:21 | וּ/לְ/מַן | uleman | AC/R/Pf3cs |
and to whom | and to whoever |
H4479-01 |
Ezra 5:3 | מַן | man | APi3ms |
who | what-substance |
H4479-01 |
Ezra 5:4 | מַן | man | APi |
who | what-substance |
H4479-01 |
Ezra 5:9 | מַן | man | APi |
who | what-substance |