Many \Ma"ny\, a. or pron.
Note: [It has no variation to express degrees of comparison;
more and most, which are used for the comparative and
superlative degrees, are from a different root.]
[OE.
mani, moni, AS. manig, m[ae]nig, monig; akin to D.
menig, OS. & OHG. manag, G. manch, Dan. mange, Sw.
m[*a]nge, Goth. manags, OSlav. mnog', Russ. mnogii; cf.
Icel. margr, Prov. E. mort. [root]103.]
Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few.
Thou shalt be a father of many nations. --Gen. xvii.
4.
Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble, are called. --1 Cor. i.
26.
Note: Many is freely prefixed to participles, forming
compounds which need no special explanation; as,
many-angled, many-celled, many-eyed, many-footed,
many-handed, many-leaved, many-lettered, many-named,
many-peopled, many-petaled, many-seeded, many-syllabled
(polysyllabic), many-tongued, many-voiced, many-wived,
and the like.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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Many \Ma"ny\, n. [AS. menigeo, menigo, menio, multitude; akin to
G. menge, OHG. manag[=i], menig[=i], Goth. managei. See
Many, a.]
1. The populace; the common people; the majority of people,
or of a community.
After him the rascal many ran. --Spenser.
2. A large or considerable number.
A many of our bodies shall no doubt Find native
graves. --Shak.
Seeing a great many in rich gowns. --Addison.
It will be concluded by manythat he lived like an
honest man. --Fielding.
Note: In this sense, many is connected immediately with
another substantive (without of) to show of what the
many consists; as, a good many [of] people think so.
He is liable to a great many inconveniences.
--Tillotson.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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