From Sanskrit मनस् (manas), meaning "mind" or "spirit." Related to the Proto-Indo-European root *men- ("to think"), which also gave English words like "mental," "mind," and "remember." The Sanskrit philosophical tradition treated *manas* as one of the core faculties of consciousness, distinct from intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahaṅkāra).

मन is far broader than the English "mind." In everyday Hindi, it covers emotions, mood, and desire all at once — so मन नहीं है ("the mind isn't there") means "I don't feel like it," and मन लगाना ("to set the mind") means "to focus" or "to be engaged." Classical poetry (bhakti, ghazal) constantly invokes मन as the restless inner self seeking God or the beloved. Don't confuse it with मन् (the archaic Sanskrit form) or मन (maun/silence in some regional dialects).