Where does “floorhand” come from?

floorhand (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.

floorhand (English): A junior worker on an oil rig, responsible for general labour and maintenance, usually more specialized tasks than those of a leasehand

Definitions

  1. A junior worker on an oil rig, responsible for general labour and maintenance, usually more specialized tasks than those of a leasehand

Ancestry of “floorhand”, step by step

floorhand 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 floor

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfloorThe interior bottom or surface of a house or...
2Middle EnglishflorA floor; the bottom surface of a room or...
3Old Englishflōrfloor, pavement, ground; floor, pavement, ground,...
4Proto-Germanicflōrazground; floor
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂rosflat; floor
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂-flat
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuzEvery word from Old Norse hǫndEvery word from Old Swedish hand