Old English (in an earlier sense). Cognate with Old Frisian mund (masculine) guardianship, guardian, Middle Dutch mont, mond (masculine) power, guardian (in Dutch only in compounds, as e.g. mondig independent, responsible, momboor guardian, protector, mondel ward, etc.), Old Saxon mund, munt (feminine) hand (in Middle Low German only in compounds, as e.g. mündich, müntlīk capable, of age, authorized, muntbar guardian, mündel ward, etc.), Old High German munt (feminine) hand, protection, (masculine) protector (Middle High German munt hand, protection, German Mund, Munt power of protection in Germanic law (hist.), and also in compounds, as e.g. Vormund guardian, Mündel ward, mündig of age, responsible, etc.), Old Icelandic mund (feminine) hand, mundr (masculine) sum paid by a bridegroom for his bride from an extended form of the Indo-European base of classical Latin manus hand.