manum

Manum is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun manus, meaning “hand.” Manus is a feminine noun of the fourth declension in Classical Latin, and manum is used when the noun functions as the direct object in a sentence. In Latin texts, manum appears in contexts describing actions performed by or upon the hand, as well as in figurative expressions related to manual action or gesture.

Etymology and derivatives: Manus is the source of a broad family of terms tied to the hand and manual activity. The oblique forms, including manum (accusative singular) and manu (ablative singular), contribute to English words and prefixes such as manual (relating to the hand) and manuscript (a document written by hand). The root also underlies Latin verbs such as manumittere (to release by handing over) and nouns like manumissio (the act of freeing someone from bondage). In English, manum itself is not used as an independent word; it is mainly encountered in linguistic discussions of Latin grammar or in scholarly notes on the language’s case forms.

Scholarly context: In linguistic and classical studies, manum is cited to illustrate Latin noun inflection and the way case forms determine function within a sentence. It serves as an example of how a single root (manus) yields multiple forms with related semantic fields—physical handling, control, and the origin of several modern terms describing hand-related concepts.