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
firsthand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |
via English First
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | First | Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest |
| 2 | Middle English | first | first |
| 3 | Old English | fyrst | Alternative form of fierst; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | frestaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pres- | to press |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |