Where does “numb-handed” come from?
numb-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.
numb-handed (English): Having hands that are numb; Inept or clumsy
Definitions
- Having hands that are numb; Inept or clumsy
Ancestry of “numb-handed”, step by step
numb-handed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English handed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | handed | Having a certain kind or number of hands; Having... |
| 2 | English | Hand | The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals |
| 3 | Middle English | hond | hand; Alternative form of hound |
| 4 | Old English | hand | A hand |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 6 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 7 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 8 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |
via English numb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | numb | Physically unable to feel, not having the power... |
| 2 | English | nim | To take or seize; To filch, steal; To walk with... |
| 3 | Middle English | nimen | to take |
| 4 | Old English | niman | to take, seize |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | neman | to take |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nemaną | to take |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | nem- | to distribute; to give, to take |