Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Handlanger” come from?

Handlanger (English) comes from Afrikaans handlanger, from Dutch handlanger, from German Handlanger, from German hand, from Middle High German hant, from Old High German hant, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand — hand.

Handlanger (English): A low-ranking artillery soldier in the...

Definitions

  1. A low-ranking artillery soldier in the...

Ancestry of “Handlanger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Afrikaanshandlanger—
2Dutchhandlanger—
3GermanHandlangera handyman; a henchman
4Germanhand—
5Middle High Germanhant—
6Old High Germanhanthand
7Proto-West Germanichanduhand
8SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
9Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
10Old Norsehǫndhand
11Proto-Germanichanduzhand
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →