Where does “hardhanded” come from?

hardhanded (English) comes from English handed, 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 — hand.

hardhanded (English): forceful, excessive, draconian, or abusive;...

Definitions

  1. forceful, excessive, draconian, or abusive;...

Ancestry of “hardhanded”, step by step

hardhanded traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English handed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhandedHaving a certain kind or number of hands; Having...
2EnglishHandThe part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals
3Middle Englishhondhand; Alternative form of hound
4Old EnglishhandA hand
5Proto-West Germanichanduhand
6SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
7Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
8Old Norsehǫndhand
9Proto-Germanichanduzhand

via English hard

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhardHaving a severe property; presenting difficulty;...
2Old Frenchhardihardy; tough; durable
3Old Frenchhardirto harden
4Frankishhardijanto harden, to make hard
5Proto-Germanichardijanąto make hard, strong; to harden
6Proto-Germanicharduzhard; brave
7Proto-Indo-Europeankert-times; to weave, twist together; time
8Proto-Turkic*keŕ-to travel, tour

Words derived from “hardhanded

Every word from Proto-Germanic handuzEvery word from Old Norse hǫndEvery word from Old Swedish hand