Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Having hands that are numb; Inept or clumsy

Ancestry of “numb-handed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhandedHaving a certain kind or number of hands; Having...
2EnglishHand—
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
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →