manhattan
/mænˈhætn̩/ noun, proper noun
Forms manhattans
- noun (cricket) a bar chart representing the number of runs scored in each over (supposed to resemble a skyline of skyscrapers).
- proper noun An indigenous people of North America who lived in present day New York State.
- proper noun A borough of New York City, New York, United States, mainly on Manhattan Island; in full, Borough of Manhattan.
- proper noun An island of New York, United States; in full, Manhattan Island.
- proper noun A ghost town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Manatee County, Florida, United States.
- proper noun A township in Will County, Illinois, United States.
- proper noun A village in Will County, Illinois, United States.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Putnam County, Indiana, United States.
- noun A cocktail made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters.
Synonyms
Etymology
From the earlier form Manna-hata recorded by Dutch travelers and settlers, from its name in Unami, the local Algonquian language. The name generally understood to be a compound of Unami mënatay (“island”) or Munsee munahan (compare Abenaki manahan) with another element.
According to a report by John Heckewelder, the name is connected to a wooded area whose trees were suitable for making bows. Linguist Ives Goddard explains the early forms Manna-hatta(n) and Mannahachtink as spellings of Munsee manaháhtaan (“place for gathering the wood to make bows”) and its related locative form manaháhteenk. This interpretation breaks down the word as a compound of manah- (“gather”) + -aht (“bow”) + -aan (“place”).
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “manhattan”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details