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Nor·man¹

(nôrmən)

a. A member of a Scandinavian people who settled in northern France in the tenth century.

b. A descendant of this people, especially one ruling or inhabiting England from the time of the Norman Conquest.

2. A native or inhabitant of Normandy.

adj.

1. Of or relating to Normandy, the Normans, their culture, or their language.

2. Of or being a style of Romanesque architecture that was introduced from Normandy into England before 1066 and that flourished until about 1200.

[Middle English, from Old French Normant (from Old Norse Nordhmadhr : nordhr, north + madhr, man) and from Old English Norman (variant of Northman : north, north; see ner-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + man, man; see man-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

(click for a larger image)

Norman1

Church of St. Mary

the Virgin

Iffley, England

Nor·man²

(nôrmən)

A city of central Oklahoma south of Oklahoma City. The University of Oklahoma opened here in 1892.

Norman, Jessye 1945-2019.

American operatic soprano acclaimed for her versatility and diverse repertoire.

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Jessye Norman

photographed in 2008

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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