Where does “firsthand” come from?
Firsthand comes from Middle English first combined with Old English hand, derived from Proto-Germanic furistaz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ḱm̥tóm and per-, meaning direct or immediate access.
firsthand (English): Direct, without intermediate stages; Not...
Definitions
- Direct, without intermediate stages; Not...
Ancestry of “firsthand”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Hand | — |
| 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 |