Where does “many-handed” come from?

many-handed (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.

many-handed (English): Involving, requiring, or possessing many hands

Definitions

  1. Involving, requiring, or possessing many hands

Ancestry of “many-handed”, step by step

many-handed 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 many

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmanyAn indefinite large number of; Used to indicate,...
2Middle Englishmany
3Old Englishmaniġmany, much
4Proto-West Germanic*managmany
5Proto-Germanicmanagazmany; much
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmenegʰ-many, sufficient

Words derived from “many-handed

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