Where does “offhanded” come from?
offhanded (English) comes from English offhand, from Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende, from Proto-Germanic abahandijaz, from Proto-Germanic aba-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epó — off, away.
offhanded (English): in a casual or curt style, without preparation or...
Definitions
- in a casual or curt style, without preparation or...
Ancestry of “offhanded”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | offhand | Without planning or thinking ahead; Careless;... |
| 2 | Middle English | *ofhande, *ofhende | — |
| 3 | Old English | ofhende | absent, lost |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | abahandijaz | out of one's hand, lost to one |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aba- | away, away from |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂epó | off, away |
Words derived from “offhanded”