Where does “on hand” come from?
on hand (English) comes from Middle English onhande, from Old English onhende, from Proto-Germanic anahandijaz, from Proto-Germanic ana-, from Proto-Germanic an-, from Proto-Indo-European ano-.
Ancestry of “on hand”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | onhande | — |
| 2 | Old English | onhende | on hand, demanding attention |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | anahandijaz | on hand, within reach |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ana- | on-; on |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | an- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ano- | — |