To Manage Was Once to Handle a Horse
A manager directs people or work. The word came from the Italian for handling a horse, by way of the riding school.
A manager runs an operation and the people in it. The verb behind it came from Italian *maneggiare*, to handle or train a horse, from *mano*, hand. English took it in the sixteenth century for horsemanship and quickly extended it to affairs, money and staff.
- Someone who directs work or people. *The branch manager.*
- Someone who looks after a performer's career. *Her manager arranged the tour.*
- A coach of a sports team (British). *The club appointed a new manager.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | manager | A new manager. |
| Plural | managers | Middle managers. |
| Verb | manage | She manages the team. |
| Noun | management | Senior management. |
| Adjective | managerial | Managerial experience. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Ask to speak to the manager.The commonest use in shops.
- He manages to arrive late every day.Manage to means succeed in, sometimes ironically.
- The manager named an unchanged side.Football usage.
The hand family
- Manage — handle, from Italian by way of horsemanship
- Manual — done by hand
- Manufacture — originally to make by hand
- Manoeuvre — from working with the hand
- Manuscript — written by hand
From Italian *maneggiare*, to handle, from Latin *manus*, hand, influenced by French *ménager*, to use carefully. The riding sense survives in *manège*, a riding school.
Manager or coach?
In British football the manager picks the team and runs the club's football side. In America the coach does that and the manager may be an executive.
What does *manage to* mean?
To succeed in doing something, often against difficulty. Said with a dry tone it can imply the opposite.