Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Hand” come from?

Hand (English) comes from Middle English hond, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand, from Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic handuz — hand.

Ancestry of “Hand”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhondhand; Alternative form of hound
2Old EnglishhandA hand
3Proto-West Germanichanduhand
4SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
5Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
6Old Norsehǫndhand
7Proto-Germanichanduzhand
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →