Where does “handhold” come from?
Handhold comes from English hand and English hole, which derives from Old English hold, from Old English hol meaning cavity, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kel- meaning to conceal or cover.
handhold (English): A projection that one may hold onto for support;...
Definitions
- A projection that one may hold onto for support;...
Ancestry of “handhold”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | hold | To grasp or grip; To contain or store; "To... |
| 2 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 3 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 4 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |