Where does “longhand” come from?

longhand (English) comes from English long, from English longitude, from Old French longitude, from Latin longitūdō, from Latin longus, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

longhand (English): The written characters used in the common method...

Definitions

  1. The written characters used in the common method...

Ancestry of “longhand”, step by step

longhand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English long

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlongHaving much distance from one terminating point...
2EnglishlongitudeAngular distance measured west or east of the...
3Old Frenchlongitude—
4Latinlongitūdōlength, longitude; longness
5Latinlongusfar, long; extended, prolonged; long; tedious,...
6Latin-ēly; used to form adverbs from adjectives
7Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
8Latincalceusshoe
9Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
10Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

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
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →Every word from Latin dis- →Every word from Latin -ē →