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
- a stroke made across the chest from the off-hand...
Ancestry of “backhand”, step by step
backhand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English back
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | back | Near the rear; Not current; Far from the main... |
| 2 | French | bac | ferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A... |
| 3 | French | baccalauréat | baccalaureat; bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | baccalaureatus | bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Latin | baccalaureus | bachelor |
| 6 | Latin | laurea | laurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of... |
| 7 | Latin | laurus | laurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel |
| 8 | English | -aceous | Of, relating to, resembling or containing the... |
| 9 | Latin | -āceus | aceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to |
| 10 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 11 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 12 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 13 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via English Hand
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hand | The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals |
| 2 | Middle English | hond | hand; Alternative form of hound |
| 3 | Old English | hand | A hand |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 5 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 6 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 7 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |