Where does “handwipe” come from?

handwipe (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.

handwipe (English): A moist towelette for cleaning the hands

Definitions

  1. A moist towelette for cleaning the hands

Ancestry of “handwipe”, step by step

handwipe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Hand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHandThe part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals
2Middle Englishhondhand; Alternative form of hound
3Old EnglishhandA hand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand

via English wipe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwipeTo move an object over, maintaining contact, with...
2Middle EnglishwipenTo wipe or swipe for cleaning purposes; To...
3Old Englishwīpianto wipe, rub, cleanse
4Proto-West Germanicwīpōnto wipe; to swing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyp-to shake, tremble, agitate; to swing, sway; to...
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz