Where does “dab hand” come from?
dab hand (English) comes from English dab, from English bad, from Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, from Old English biddan, from Proto-West Germanic biddjan, from Proto-Germanic bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.
dab hand (English): An expert; a very skilled person
Definitions
- An expert; a very skilled person
Ancestry of “dab hand”, step by step
dab hand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dab
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dab | To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a... |
| 2 | English | bad | Unfavorable; negative; not good; Not suitable or... |
| 3 | Middle English | bad | — |
| 4 | Old English | bæd | first/third-person singular preterite of biddan |
| 5 | Old English | biddan | to ask; to beg |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | biddjan | to ask, to make a request |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bidjaną | to make a request; to ask; to request, ask |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰidʰ- | to command; pot, bucket, barrel |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |
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 |