Literary notes about Manus (AI summary)
The term manus, Latin for "hand," is used in literature both to denote the anatomical hand and to evoke broader metaphorical meanings that symbolize agency and control. In some works, it functions as a literal descriptor of physical forms or actions—in anatomical contexts, it appears in vivid portrayals of bodily features [1] and the detailed movement of limbs [2]. Elsewhere, manus carries a symbolic weight: it signifies power, handiwork, or even divine intervention, as seen in its etymological connection to words like "manufacture" and "manage" [3, 4] and in poetic passages where it connotes submission or fate [5, 6]. This layered usage enables authors to enrich their narratives by linking the physical act of touching or crafting with broader themes of human endeavor and cosmic order.
- A surface view, in profile, of an embryo with well developed manus and pes.
— from Development of the Digestive Canal of the American Alligator by A. M. (Albert Moore) Reese - 3. 2. Manus sinistra poni debet super missale ad Evangelium, cum dextera fit signum crucis super ipsum.
— from The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Volume 1, January 1865 - Our word ‘manage’ is from the Latin ‘manus,’ a hand, through the French ‘main.’
— from A Book About Words by G. F. (George Frederick) Graham - Manus , the hand; manufacture, manual, manuscript.
— from Outline of the history of the English language and literature by Anonymous - It is the pictorial representation of the Latin dare manus , to signify submission."
— from The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin - It was you, Manus, stopped me from the one meal.
— from Three Wonder Plays by Lady Gregory
