M
This letter represents the wavy appearance of water, and is called
in Hebrew mem (water).
M
Every word in the Materia more Magistralis begins with
the letter m. (See C and P.)
M
(initial of manslaughter). The brand of a person convicted of
that offence, and admitted to the benefit of clergy. It was burnt on
the brawn of the left thumb.
M
in numerals is the initial of mille, a thousand.
“Whosoever prayeth for the soul of John Gower be shall, so oft as he
so doth, have a M and a D days of pardon” —Gower's Tablet.
M
to represent the human face. Add two dots for the eyes, thus, `M'.
These dots being equal to O's, we get OMO (homo) Latin for man.
Who reads the name,
For man upon his forehead, there the M
Had traced most plainly.
Dante: Purgatory, xxiii.
M
The five M's: Mansa, Matsya, Madya, Maithuna, and Mudra (flesh,
fish, wine, women, and gesticulation). The five forms of Hindu
asceticism.
M'
i.e. Mac. A Gaelic prefix meaning son. (Gothic, magus, a son; Sanskrit, mah, to grow; Welsh, magu, to
breed.) The Welsh ap is Mac changed to Map, and
contracted into 'ap or 'p, as Apadam ('Ap Adam), Prichard ('P
Richard).
M
or N in the Catechism. M is a contraction of NN (names);
N is for name. The respondent is required to give his names if
he has more than one, or his name if only one.
In the marriage service, M stands for mas (the man) or maritus (the bridegroom), and N for nupia (the bride).
There are some who think M stands for Mary, the patron saint
of girls, and N for Nicholas, the patron saint of boys.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 
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