Английский Этимологический словарь - manifest (adj.)

- c.1380, from L. manifestus "caught in the act, plainly apprehensible," from manus "hand" + -festus "(able to be) seized;" the noun sense of "ship's cargo" is from 1706. The verb sense of "to show plainly" is from late M.E. Manifestation in the spiritualism sense is from 1853.