The term
man (from
Proto-Germanic *mannaz or
*manwaz "man, person") and words derived from it can designate any or even all of the
human race regardless of their sex or age. The word developed into
Old English man, mann meaning primarily "adult male human" but secondarily capable of designating a person of unspecified gender, "someone, one" or humanity at large (see also
German man,
Old Norse maðr,
Gothic manna "man"). More restricted English terms for an adult male were
wer (cognate: Latin
vir; survives as the first element in "werewolf") and
guma (cognate: Latin
homo; survives as the second element in "bridegroom").