Where does “handbasket” come from?
handbasket (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.
handbasket (English): A basket with a handle
Definitions
- A basket with a handle
Ancestry of “handbasket”, step by step
handbasket 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 basket
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | basket | A lightweight container, generally round, open at... |
| 2 | Middle English | basket | A basket; The amount that fits in a basket |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman French | bascat | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | bascauda | kettle, table-vessel |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | baski | bundle, load |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰask- | bundle, band |