mænan

mænan is a term used in historical linguistics to denote a reconstructed Old English verb meaning "to mean," "to intend," or "to signify." The form itself is not a directly attested modern spelling in surviving Old English texts, but is discussed as part of the Germanic verb family that gives rise to the modern English word mean. In this scholarly usage, mænan represents an infinitive or citation form used to describe the verb’s early semantic range.

Etymology and cognates

Scholars generally locate mænan within the broader West Germanic verb complex that yields related forms in other Germanic languages. Cognates include Old Icelandic meina, German meinen, and Dutch menen or meenen, all of which carry senses related to thinking, intending, or believing something to be true. The proposed connection helps explain how the sense "to mean" developed in English, from an emphasis on intention or significance toward the modern sense of definition or consequence.

Semantics and development

In linguistic discussions, mænan is associated with semantic fields such as intention, significance, and signification. Over time, the Old English verb meaning "to intend" or "to signify" contributed to the semantic shift that produced the modern sense of "mean" in English. The form itself is primarily of philological interest, illustrating how cognate Germanic verbs diversified across languages.

Modern status

Today, mænan is not used in everyday English. It is encountered mainly in etymological and philological explanations of the word mean and its Germanic relatives. See also mean; meina (Old Norse/Icelandic); meinen (German); menen (Dutch).