Where does “gentle-handed” come from?
gentle-handed (English) comes from English handed, 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 — hand.
gentle-handed (English): Having or involving hands that are gentle
Definitions
- Having or involving hands that are gentle
Ancestry of “gentle-handed”, step by step
gentle-handed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English handed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | handed | Having a certain kind or number of hands; Having... |
| 2 | English | Hand | The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals |
| 3 | Middle English | hond | hand; Alternative form of hound |
| 4 | Old English | hand | A hand |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 6 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 7 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 8 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |
via English gentle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gentle | Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly... |
| 2 | Middle English | gentil | courteous, noble |
| 3 | Old French | gentil | noble; courteous; courtly |
| 4 | Latin | gentīlis | of or belonging to the same family or gēns: kinsman |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |