English

Noun

Männlein ‎(plural Männleins)

1. A little man; a dwarf, a mannikin.
   • 1847, Sharpe's London Magazine:

     There was the wife of the männlein, dressed in a robe of silk, richer far than was ever worn by wife of burgomaster ; and there were his brothers, and his daughter, with her fair hair falling over her shoulders, and her exquisitely soft blue eye.

   • 1902, The Popular Science Monthly:

     It is astonishing how this activity keeps up to the end of the day and how the child struggles against fatigue and sleepiness. After having looked at his Brownie book in bed awhile S. was laid down by his mother to be sung to sleep as usual and the gas was turned down. Whereat he said: [...] right,—Yes. M., S. want those two pieces paper,—give S. some paper. 8. have to roll up. M. cover S. Where P.? Where P.? M., where P.? M. sing loud. M. lie down on P. bed,” when the Männlein suddenly fell off to sleep.

   • 1962, Judith Shatnoff, Interchange:

     Just last week when that Mannlein fellow was here every other night and calling her every morning at her office during his coffee break we thought, Well on Edith's birthday, we'll see, we'll hear.

   • 1968, Philip Toynbee, Views from a lake: the seventh day of the valediction of Pantaloon:

     Hungry for home and a husband sturdy Dorothea Has wandered far to catch herself a man; a Mannlein.

   • 1983, Norman Spinrad, The Void Captain's Tale:

     "To teach a lesson that you must learn, mannlein," she said harshly. "To strip away the final veil."

   • 2009, Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising:

     He put his pistol under Hannibal's chin and patted him down. He kicked Hannibal's gun away. Grutas took a stiletto from his belt and poked the tip into Hannibal's legs. They did not move. "Shot in the spine, my little Mannlein," Grutas said.

Alternative forms

• männlein
• Mannlein, mannlein

German

Etymology

diminutive form of Mann ‎(“man”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnlaɪ̯n/
• Hyphenation: Männ‧lein
• Rhymes: -ɛnlaɪ̯n

Noun

Männlein n ‎(genitive Männleins, plural Männlein)

1. male animal
2. diminutive of Mann

Declension

Synonyms

• (northern German) Männchen
• (Bavarian) Manderl, Mandl
• (diminutive): (mostly northern German) Männchen

Antonyms

• Weiblein

Hypernyms

• (animal): Tier
• (diminutive): Mensch

Hyponyms

• (animal): Bock, Eber, Erpel, Ganser, Hengst, Kater, Keiler, Rammler, Rüde, Stier, Terzel, Widder
• (diminutive): Halmamännlein, Heinzelmännlein, Räuchermännlein, Sandmännlein, Wichtelmännlein

Related terms

• (diminutive): (Thuringian-Upper Saxonian) die Männlein kriegen; Männlein machen, Männlein und Weiblein