Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “backhand” come from?

I need to analyze this etymology chain carefully, but I notice there are significant issues with it that make it impossible to write an accurate sentence. Problems with the chain provided: 1. The chain appears corrupted or nonsensical (French "bac" to Old English "hand" doesn't connect logically) 2. Old Swedish "nattbakka" doesn't clearly relate to the other terms 3. Latin "bassus" (meaning "low/deep") doesn't obviously connect to "hand" 4. The two Proto-Indo-European entries are identical (gʷémtis), suggesting duplication 5. The meaning of "backhand" is listed as unknown, making it impossible to trace sense development 6. The path from these elements to "backhand" (a compound of "back" + "hand") is unclear **I cannot write an accurate one-sentence etymology for "backhand" based on this chain

backhand (English): a stroke made across the chest from the off-hand...

Definitions

  1. a stroke made across the chest from the off-hand...

Ancestry of “backhand”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbackNear the rear; Not current; Far from the main...
2Frenchbacferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A...
3Frenchbaccalauréatbaccalaureat; bachelor's degree
4Medieval Latinbaccalaureatusbachelor's degree
5Latinbaccalaureusbachelor
6Latinlaurealaurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of...
7Latinlauruslaurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel
8English-aceousOf, relating to, resembling or containing the...
9Latin-āceus—
10Latin-āx—
11Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
12Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
13Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
14Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “backhand”

  • backhander
  • bekhend
  • бекхенд
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →