männlicher

Männlicher is the comparative form of the German adjective männlich, meaning male or masculine. It is used to express a higher degree of masculinity or to compare masculine qualities between two or more subjects. In ordinary sentences it agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case. For example: Dieser Mann ist männlicher als jener. In non-comparative use, the positive form männlich describes gender or masculine traits, as in ein männlicher Hund or männliche Merkmale. In comparative constructions, the forms for other genders are männlichere (feminine) and männlicheres (neuter), as in eine männlichere Erscheinung or ein männlicheres Tier.

Grammar and usage notes: Männlicher appears most commonly in comparisons. It is part of the standard inflection pattern for German adjectives and follows the regular comparative suffix -er. Because German adjectives change form to reflect the gender and case of the noun, the precise ending may vary with article type and syntactic position, but the root meaning remains the comparative of männlich.

Etymology and related terms: The word derives from Old High German mênnlîh, from the root man(m)- meaning “man,” with a suffix meaning “like.” It shares its origin with related compounds that describe masculinity or manliness. Related concepts include männlich (the base adjective), Männlichkeit (the noun form “masculinity”), and broader discussions of gender in language and biology.

See also: männlich, Männlichkeit, gender, grammar.