Where does “offhand” come from?
Offhand comes from Old English ofhende, combining the prefix of- with a form related to Proto-Germanic handuz, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European apo-.
offhand (English): Without planning or thinking ahead; Careless;...
Definitions
- Without planning or thinking ahead; Careless;...
Ancestry of “offhand”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | *ofhande, *ofhende | — |
| 2 | Old English | ofhende | absent, lost |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | abahandijaz | out of one's hand, lost to one |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aba- | away, away from |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂epó | off, away |