From Middle English many, mani, moni, from Old English maniġ, moniġ, maneġ ("many"), from Proto-West Germanic *manag, from Proto-Germanic *managaz.

Cognate with Scots mony, Northern Frisian manag, manig, mäning, Saterland Frisian monig, moonich, Western Frisian mannich, mennich, Dutch menig, Low German männig, German manch, Old Norse mangr, Norwegian mang, Swedish mången, Danish mangen, French maint, Russian мно́гий, Serbo-Croatian - and Polish mnogi, Czech mnohý, Scottish Gaelic minig

The noun is from Middle English manye, *menye, from Old English manigeo, menigu ("company, multitude, host"), from Proto-West Germanic *managu, *managī, from Proto-Germanic *managō, *managį̄, from the same root as the determiner.

• (British) IPA: /ˈmɛni/
• (America) IPA: /ˈmɛni/
  • (pin-pen) IPA: /ˈmɪni/
• (Ireland) IPA: /ˈmæni/
• (Ireland) Homophones: mannie, Mannie, manny, Manny

1. An indefinite large number of.

   Synonyms: numerous#Determiner

   Antonyms: a couple of, a few#Determiner, a handful of, several#Determiner, ;, one#Determiner, ;, no#Determiner, zero#Determiner

   Hypernyms: multiple#Determiner, various#Determiner

   Hyponym: countless

   Not many such people enjoyed playing chess.

   There are very many different ways to cook a meal.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Genesis 17:4 ↗:

     Thou shalt be a father of many nations.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter III, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC ↗:

     The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them, […].

2. (in combinations such as 'as many', 'so many', 'this many') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the number of people or things.

   We don't need this many bananas. Put some back.

   There may be as many as ten million species of insect.

   I don't have as many friends as my sister does.

• a lot of

• few

• French: beaucoup, nombreux, plusieurs
• German: viele
• Italian: molti, un gran numero di
• Portuguese: muitos, muitas
• Russian: мно́го
• Spanish: muchos, muchas

1. An indefinite large number of people or things.

   Many are called, but few are chosen.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Luke 1:1 ↗:

     Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 4, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC ↗:

     By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.

• few

• how many
• many a
• so many

• French: beaucoup, un grand nombre
• Italian: molti
• Russian: мно́гие
• Spanish: muchos

many

1. A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.

   Synonyms: crowd, mob, Thesaurus:commonalty

   Democracy must balance the rights of the few against the will of the many.

2. A considerable number.

   Synonyms: abundance, buttload, deal, Thesaurus:lot

   • 2005, Florence Dyer, A Mother's Cry!: Touches the Very Heart of God, page 22:

     I know that my mother cried a many of times from decisions I made.

• French: le plus grand nombre
• Portuguese: massa, multidão
• Russian: мно́гие

many (comparative more, superlative most)

1. Existing in large number; numerous.

• multiple, several; see also Thesaurus:manifold

Borrowed from French Many or a variant of Maney.

1. Surname.
2. A town/parish seat in Sabine Parish, Louisiana.