Where does “handspan” come from?
handspan (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.
handspan (English): The distance between the outstretched tips of the...
Definitions
- The distance between the outstretched tips of the...
Ancestry of “handspan”, step by step
handspan 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 span
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | span | The space from the thumb to the end of the little... |
| 2 | Middle English | span | Alternative form of spanne |
| 3 | Old English | spann | span |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | spann | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |