▪ I. mankind, n. and a.1
[f. man n.1 + kind n. Cf. man's kind (man n.1 21).]
A. n. I. (Now mænˈkaɪnd.)
1. The human species. Now only collect. Human beings in general. (First in Cursor M.; it superseded the older mankin1.)
Formerly sometimes with sing. verb, or referred to with sing. masc. pronoun; now construed only as plural.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9372 Þe fader of heuen Dight his dere sun to send, Vntil erth, or flesche to ta for to bring man⁓kind o wa. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 143 If monkynde in þo stat of innocense..schulde not be ydel bot serve his God bisily. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P. R. xvi. lxxi. (1495) 576 Onichius..hath in itself colour medelyd lyke the naylle of mankinde. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1762 Thus was mankynde delyueryd from hys foon. 1480 Caxton Descr. Brit. 6 In Britayne ben hoot welles well arayed and adressyd to the vse of mankynde. 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. D ij, Howe many in nombre are all the bones in a body of mankynde? 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 23 Sathan the ennemye of almankinde. 1587 Golding De Mornay xvi. 258 The great number of diseases wherwith mankinde is pained. 1610 Shakes. Temp. v. i. 183 How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankinde is! 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvi. 139 A Law of Nature, equally obliging all man-kind. 1726 Butler Serm. Hum. Nat. iii. Wks. 1874 II. 33 Allowing that mankind hath the rule of right within himself. a 1774 Goldsm. Hist. Greece I. 202 Mankind never suffer any work to be lost which tends to make them more wise or happy. 1809 Syd. Smith Serm. I. 405 To study mankind aright, we must observe, no less the circumstances in which he is placed, than [etc.]. 1825 Lytton Falkland 14 Thrown early among mankind, I should early have imbibed their feelings. 1902 Greenough & Kittredge Words 158 The history of language is the history of mankind. |
† 2. The nature of man; human nature. Chiefly in phr. to take (or fang) mankind. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17288 + 43 Our lord ȝoght to tak man⁓kynd and bring vus oute of woo. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 530 And mankynd biddis vs that we To procur vengeans besy be. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xvi. (Magdalena) 242, & how mane-kynd þat he can fange. c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. xvi. 245 God descended into mankinde, and..couplid to him a singuler mankinde. 1493 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 94 That our lorde had taken mankynde. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 67 He come from heuin, and tuke mankynde. |
† b. Human feeling, humanity. Obs. rare—1.
| 1603 B. Jonson Sejanus v. x, O you, whose mindes are good, And have not forc'd all mankind, from your brests. |
II. 3. (Now ˈmænkaɪnd.) The male sex; persons of the male sex. (Cf. men-kind.)
| 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. vi. 9 Abusars of themselves with the mankynde. 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 141 If any mankind will enter therein..he shall..be bereft of his senses. And if any womankind..go into that water, she [etc.]. a 1581 Bp. R. Cox Injunctions, Their chyldren and seruauntes both mankinde and womankinde. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. ii. 199 Should all despaire That haue reuolted Wiues, the tenth of Mankind Would hang themselves. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv. 155 Without admission of any man-kind in their company. 1874 Trollope Lady Anna ix. 67 The infinite simplicity and silliness of mankind and womankind at large. |
B. adj.
† 1. Human. Obs.
| 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. xv. xii. 412, I coniure you..ye infernall kings..to appeare..in faire forme and shape of mankind kings. |
† 2. Male. Obs.
| 1633 Massinger Guardian i. ii, I keep no mankind servant in my house, In fear my chastity may be suspected. 1638 Ford Lady's Trial ii. ii, Sir, consider My sex; were I mankind, my sword should quit A wounded honour. |
† 3. Of women: Masculine, virago-like. Obs.
Sometimes indistinguishable from mankind a.2
| 1585 Higins Junius' Nomenclator 19 Virago, a manly woman, or a mankind woman. 1591 H. Smith Prepar. Marr. (Field) 61 A mankind woman is a monster, that is, halfe a woman and halfe a man. 1598 Florio, Brifalda, a bould, shamelesse, mankinde, virago woman. 1599 Porter Angry Wom. Abingt. (Percy Soc.) 62 Why, she is mankind; therefore thou mayest strike her. 1607 Shakes. Cor. iv. ii. 16 Virg. You shall stay too. I would I had the power To say so to my Husband. Sicin. Are you mankinde? Volum. I foole, is that a shame. 1607 Beaumont Woman-Hater iii. i, Are women growne so mankind? must they be wooing? 1619 Fletcher M. Thomas iv. vi, 'Twas a sound knock she gave me, A plaguy mankinde girle. 1635 Life Long Meg of Westminster (1816) 22 For that hee had heard shee was so mankind as to beat all she met withall, he would try her manhood. |
▪ II. † ˈmankind, a.2 Obs.
Also 6 mankin(e.
[Of obscure origin: possibly a perversion of mankeen, though that form does not appear in our quots. till later.]
Infuriated, furious, fierce, mad. = mankeen.
| 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 127 He set dogges, that were man⁓kynde [L. canibus efferatis] vpon the man to be all to torne. a 1553 Udall Royster D. iv. viii. (Arb.) 77 Come away, by the matte she is mankine [rime mine]. I durst aduenture the losse of my right hande, If shee dyd not slee hir other husbande. 1598–9 Bp. Hall in Marston's Sco. Villanie iii. x. (1599) H i b, I ask'd Phisitions what theyr counsell was For a mad dogge or for a mankind Asse? 1605 Chapman All Fooles Wks. 1873 I. 167 Good Signor Cornelio be not too mankinde against your wife. 1632 Massinger City Madam iii. i, You brach, Are you turn'd mankind? 1672 J. Josselyn New Eng. Rarities 13 They [Bears]..are never mankind, i.e. fierce, but in rutting time. |
Hence † mankindly adv., cruelly, ferociously.
| 1606 Sir G. Goosecappe ii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 30 You drive maids afore you,..as mankindelie as if you had taken a surfet of our Sex lately. |