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Amy is a man
:''This article concerns '''man''' in the sense of "[[human]] [[male]]". For other meanings of man see [[Man (disambiguation)]].
[[Image:Human-man.png|framed|right|<small>''Image of a man on the [[Pioneer plaque]] sent to interstellar space </small>'']]
[[Image:Male.png|left|30px]]A '''man''' is a [[male]] [[human]] [[adult]], in contrast to an adult [[female]], which is a [[woman]]. The term ''man'' (irregular plural: ''men'') is a term used to indicate either a [[person]] generally, or a male person specifically.
==Etymology==
The term "man" (from [[Proto-Germanic]] ''[[mannaz]]'' "man, person") and words derived from it can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their gender or age. This is indeed the oldest usage of "man".
The word developed into [[Old English language|Old English]] ''man, mann'' "human being, person," (cf. also [[German language|German]] ''Mann'', [[Old Norse]] ''maðr'', [[Gothic language|Gothic]] ''manna'' "man").
It is derived from a [[PIE]] base ''*man-'' (cf. [[Sanskrit]]/[[Avestan]] ''manu-'', [[Russian language|Russian]] ''muzh'' "man, male"). Sometimes, the word is connected with the root ''*men-'' "to think" ([[cognate]] to ''mind''). Restricted use in the sense "[[man|adult male]]" only began to occur in late Old English, around [[11th century|1000 AD]], and the word formerly expressing male sex, ''[[were|wer]]'' had died out by [[1300]] (but survives in e.g. [[werewolf|''were''-wolf]] and [[Weregild|''were''-gild]]). The original sense of the word is preserved in [[mankind]], from Old English ''mancynn''.
In [[Old English language|Old English]] the words [[wer]] and [[wyf]] (also [[wæpman]] and [[wifman]]) were what was used to refer to "a man" and "a woman" respectively, and "man" was gender neutral. In [[Middle English]] man displaced wer as term for "male human," whilst wyfman (which eventually evolved into woman) was retained for "female human." Man does continue to carry its original sense of "[[Human]]" however, resulting in an [[asymmetry]] sometimes criticized as sexist. [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=man]
[[Image:Soldier running in water.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A man running through water.]]
In the [[20th century]], the generic meaning of "man" declined still further (but survives in compounds "mankind", "everyman", "no-man", etc), and it is probable that future generations will see it as totally archaic, and use it solely to mean "adult male". Interestingly, exactly the same thing has happened to the Latin word ''homo'': in the [[Romance language]]s, ''homme'', ''uomo'', ''hombre'', ''homem'' etc. have all come to refer mainly to males, with residual generic meaning.
==Age==
[[Manhood]] is the period in a male's life after he has transitioned from a boy. Many cultures have [[rite of passage|rites of passage]] to symbolize a man's [[coming of age]], such as [[Confirmation (sacrament)|confirmation]] in some branches of [[Christianity]], [[B'nai Mitzvah|bar mitzvah]] in [[Judaism]], or even just the celebration of the eighteenth or twenty-first [[birthday]].
A [[boy]] is a [[male]] [[human]] [[child]]. For many, the word ''man'' implies a certain degree of maturity and responsibility that young men in particular often feel unprepared for; yet they may also feel too old to be called a ''boy''. For this reason, many avoid using either ''man'' or ''boy'' to describe a young man and prefer colloquial terms such as ''bloke'', ''chap'', ''fellow'', ''guy'' or the like.
== Biology and sex ==
In terms of [[sex]], men have various sexual characteristics that differentiate them from [[woman|women]]. Just as in women, the [[sex organ]]s of a man are part of the reproductive system, consisting of the [[penis]], [[testicles]], [[vas deferens]] and other sperm cords, and the [[prostate]] gland. The male reproductive system is oriented around producing and ejaculating [[semen]] which carries [[sperm]] and thus genetic information. Since sperm that enters a woman's [[uterus]] and then [[fallopian tubes]] goes on to fertilize an egg which develops into a [[fetus]] or [[child]], the male reproductive system plays no necessary role during [[gestation]]. The concept of [[fatherhood]] and [[family]] exists in every human society.
The [[secondary sex characteristics]], such as body hair and muscle growth, are involved in attracting a mate or in defeating rivals. But these secondary traits are also often related to reproduction in some manner. In contrast to women, men have sex organs that are mostly considered to be external, although many parts of the male reproductive system are internal as well (such as the [[prostate]]). The study of male reproduction and associated organs is called [[andrology]]. Most, but not all, men have the [[karyotype]] 46/XY.
In general, men suffer from many of the same illnesses as women. However, there are some [[sex-related illness]]es that occur only, or more frequently, in men. For example, [[autism]] and [[color blindness]] are more common in men than women. As well, some age-related disorders such as [[Alzheimer's disease]] appear to be more common among men, though whether this is due to a genuinely higher incidence or because men have lower life expectancies than women is uncertain.
[[image:male anatomy.png|thumb|left|350px|Human male anatomy]]
Biological factors are usually not the sole determinants of whether a person considers themselves a man or is considered a man or not. For example, several men have been born without a typical male physiology (estimates range between one in 2,000 and one in 100,000), or some individuals with XY chromosomes can have an hormonal or genetic difference (such as [[androgen insensitivity syndrome]]), or another [[intersex]] condition; some of those intersex people, and others, who have had a sex assigned at birth seek reassignment later in their lives. (See also [[gender identity]], [[gender role]] and [[transman]].)
Additionally, 20% of males, particularly in the [[United States|U.S.]], the [[Philippines]], and [[South Korea]], as well as [[Jew]]s and [[Muslim]]s from all countries, have experienced [[circumcision]], a process of altering the [[penis]] from its natural state by removing the [[foreskin]].
== [[Gender role]]s ==
[[Image:Michelangelos David.jpg|thumb|right|[[Michelangelo's David]] is widely considered to be one of the finest artistic portrayals of a man.]]
In terms of gender, men differ from women by a variety of behaviors. Certain characteristics generally associated with men may be delineated; it is important to remember that the following are [[stereotype]]s and are by no means true of all men.
Men are often considered to be more:
* [[aggression|aggressive]] than women. However, in interpersonal relationships, most research has found that men and women are equally aggressive. Men do tend to be more aggressive outside of the home.
* [[courage]]ous and adventuresome than women;
* [[competition|competitive]] but also more stubborn than women.
* [[self-confidence|self-confident]] (even [[pride|proud]]) and to exhibit better leadership skills than women.
* [[self-control|self-controlled]] and less [[emotion]]al
* [[technology|technically]] and organizationally skilled than women.
* prone to [[abstraction|abstract thinking]] than women
* Less tidy (dirtier) than women [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/09/22/research_uncovers_a_dirty_little_secret/]
In terms of outward appearance, few men in Western cultures wear [[cosmetics]] or [[clothing]] generally associated with female [[gender role]]s. (Doing so is known as [[cross-dressing]], and is generally stigmatized.) Fashions change, however: whereas wearing [[jewelry]] was formerly associated with females, today in Western cultures it is common for men to wear [[earring]]s without being perceived as cross-dressing. The same has become true of the [[shaving]] off of unwanted body and facial hair, though removal of the latter has long been common among men in many cultures.
==Further reading==
*Andrew Perchuk, Simon Watney, Bell Hooks, ''The Masculine Masquerade: Masculinity and Representation'', MIT Press 1995
*[[Pierre Bourdieu]], ''Masculine Domination'', Paperback Edition, Stanford University Press 2001
* [[Robert W. Connell]], ''Masculanities'', Cambridge : Polity Press, 1995
*Michael Kimmel (ed.), Robert W. Connell (ed.), Jeff Hearn (ed.), ''Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities'', Sage Publications 2004
==See also==
* [[Masculinity]]
* [[Gender and sexuality studies]]
* [[Male chauvinism]]
* [[Masculism]]
* [[Men's Rights]]
* [[Patriarchy]]
* [[Penis]]
* [[Woman]]
{{Wiktionary|man}}
{{Commons|Man|Men}}
{{Commons2|Man|More men}}
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Gender]]
[[af:Man]]
[[bn:পুরুষ]]
[[ca:Home]]
[[cs:Muž]]
[[da:Mand]]
[[de:Mann]]
[[eo:Homo]]
[[es:Varón]]
[[fi:Mies]]
[[fr:Homme]]
[[ga:Fear]]
[[gd:Fear]]
[[he:איש]]
[[la:Homo]]
[[nl:Man (geslacht)]]
[[it:Uomo]]
[[ja:男性]]
[[pl:Mężczyzna]]
[[pt:homem]]
[[ru:Мужчина]]
[[scn:Omu]]
[[sv:Man]]
[[zh:男人]]
[[zh-min-nan:Cha-po·]]
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