Many

[men-ee] /ˈmɛn i/

adjective, more, most.
1.
constituting or forming a large number; numerous:
many people.
2.
noting each one of a large number (usually followed by a or an):
For many a day it rained.
noun
3.
a large or considerable number of persons or things:
A good many of the beggars were blind.
4.
the many, the greater part of humankind.
pronoun
5.
many persons or things:
Many of the beggars were blind. Many were unable to attend.
/ˈmɛnɪ/
determiner
1.
sometimes preceded by a great or a good

2.
foll by a, an, or another, and a singular noun. each of a considerable number of: many a man
3.
preceded by as, too, that, etc

noun
4.
the many, the majority of mankind, esp the common people: the many are kept in ignorance while the few prosper Compare few (sense 7)
adj.

Old English monig, manig “many, many a, much,” from Proto-Germanic *managaz (cf. Old Saxon manag, Swedish mången, Old Frisian manich, Dutch menig, Old High German manag, German manch, Gothic manags), from PIE *menegh- “copious” (cf. Old Church Slavonic munogu “much, many,” Old Irish menicc, Welsh mynych “frequent,” Old Irish magham “gift”). Pronunciation altered by influence of any (see manifold).
n.

Old English menigu, from many (adj.). The many “the multitude” attested from 1520s. Cf. also Gothic managei “multitude, crowd,” Old High German managi “large number, plurality,” German Menge “multitude.”

Related Terms

one too many