The answer to Wordle #560 (December 31, 2022 edition) is “manly.” Cambridge defines it as “having the qualities that people think a man should have.” It could be used as a substitute for masculine or virile from a gender-specific perspective, or qualities like bravery from a neutral standpoint.
As expected, the word is a combination of “man” and “ly.” Interestingly, the word “man” is still used as a generic term for someone belonging to the human race, a trend that can be traced all the way back to the Old English of the 13th century. As for the “ly” suffix part, it finds similarities in Old Germanic, but the real root is in the Old English term “lic,” which means “having qualities of, of the form or nature of.”
Given the word’s significance and versatility, there are a number of fun quotes out there, but this sums it up quite well: “Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.” It’s attributed to former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who was also a prolific writer as well as a renowned statesman with close ties to Queen Victoria herself.
