Where does “handfastly” come from?
handfastly (English) comes from English handfast, from German Handfest, from German hand, from Middle High German hant, from Old High German hant, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand, from Old Swedish hand — hand.
handfastly (English): In a handfast manner
Ancestry of “handfastly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | handfast | A hold, grasp; custody, power of confining or... |
| 2 | German | Handfest | — |
| 3 | German | hand | — |
| 4 | Middle High German | hant | — |
| 5 | Old High German | hant | hand |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 7 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 8 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 9 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |