manuell

Manuell is an adjective used in several languages to describe something operated by hand rather than by automatic means. The term is common in Scandinavian languages—Norwegian and Swedish—where it designates manual, hand-operated processes or devices. In German, manuell is likewise widely used in technical and everyday contexts to contrast with automatisch, as in manuelle Bedienung (manual operation) or manuelle Steuerung (manual control).

Etymology: The word derives from the Latin manus meaning hand. It passed into French as manuel and spread into various European languages in forms such as manual, manuale, manuell, and manuali, with a semantic core of "by hand" or "hand-operated."

Usage: In technical writing, manuell denotes non-automatic operation and often appears in product specifications, control panels, and manuals for equipment. It can also refer to a non-electronic approach, or to a process performed by a person rather than by a machine. In some contexts, the English loanword manual is used for a handbook; in German, such manuals are commonly called Bedienungsanleitung or Handbuch, with occasional use of the English loanword Manual in specialized jargon.

Cross-linguistic notes: While forms vary, the core meaning—hand-operated or non-automatic—remains consistent across languages that employ the term. In contrast, many languages use different native terms for a comparable concept, such as “handmatig” in Dutch or “manual” in English, though these are distinct in spelling and usage from manuell in Germanic and Scandinavian contexts.

See also: manual; manual transmission; manual control.