Where does “fifthhand” come from?

fifthhand (English) comes from English Hand, 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.

fifthhand (English): Having been relayed by four intermediate sources

Definitions

  1. Having been relayed by four intermediate sources

Ancestry of “fifthhand”, step by step

fifthhand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Hand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHandThe part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals
2Middle Englishhondhand; Alternative form of hound
3Old EnglishhandA hand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand

via English fifth

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfifthThe ordinal form of the number five; The person...
2Middle EnglishfiftheAlternative form of fifte
3Old Englishfīftafifth
4Proto-Germanicfimftôfifth
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuzEvery word from Old Norse hǫndEvery word from Old Swedish hand