manyac

Catalan

Etymology

First attested in 1803. Uncertain origin, perhaps from Late Latin maniacus (“maniac”), in this sense first applied to spoilt children. Later it came to denote docility.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [məˈɲak]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [maˈɲak]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Adjective

manyac (feminine manyaga, masculine plural manyacs, feminine plural manyagues)

1. docile, lacking aggressivity

   Synonyms: mans, manso, mansoi

   Quin gos més manyac!

   What a docile dog!

   Només vol que l'acariciïn: és molt manyac.

   He only wants to be petted: he's very docile.

Related terms

• amanyagar
• manyaga

Further reading

• “manyac”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “manyac”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “manyac” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “manyac” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.