Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “handicap” come from?

handicap (Dutch) comes from English handicap, from English hand in cap.

handicap (Dutch): disability; handicap, disadvantage; handicap,...

Definitions

  1. disability; handicap, disadvantage; handicap,...

Ancestry of “handicap”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhandicapSomething that prevents, hampers, or hinders; An...
2Englishhand in cap—
Every word from English hand in cap →