Where does “handle” come from?
Handle comes from Middle English handel, from Old English handle, from Proto-Germanic handlōną, derived from Proto-Germanic handuz meaning hand.
handle (English): The part of an object which is held in the hand...
Definitions
- The part of an object which is held in the hand...
Ancestry of “handle”, step by step
handle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English handel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | handel | — |
| 2 | Old English | handle | a handle |
| 3 | Old English | handlian | to handle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | handulōn | to handle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | handlōną | to take or hold in the hand, seize, grip |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |
via Middle English handlen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | handlen | — |