Where does “ranchhand” come from?
ranchhand (English) comes from English ranch, from Spanish rancho, from Spanish rancharse, from Spanish arranchar, from French ranger, from French rang, from Old French reng, from Latin rencus — to set in order.
ranchhand (English): A manual laborer on a ranch, often working under...
Definitions
- A manual laborer on a ranch, often working under...
Ancestry of “ranchhand”, step by step
ranchhand traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ranch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ranch | A large plot of land used for raising cattle,... |
| 2 | Spanish | rancho | ranch; shed, barn; grotty grub |
| 3 | Spanish | rancharse | Compound of the infinitive ranchar and the ... |
| 4 | Spanish | arranchar | to skirt; to get together |
| 5 | French | ranger | a ranger, one who looks after a region; to order,... |
| 6 | French | rang | A row or line of things placed side-by-side; A... |
| 7 | Old French | reng | place; position |
| 8 | Latin | rencus | row; order, rank |
| 9 | Gaulish | rekos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | reketi | to arrange |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | (H)rek- | to set in order |
via English Hand
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hand | The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals |
| 2 | Middle English | hond | hand; Alternative form of hound |
| 3 | Old English | hand | A hand |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | handu | hand |
| 5 | Swedish | hand | A hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player |
| 6 | Old Swedish | hand | A hand; A direction; A behalf |
| 7 | Old Norse | hǫnd | hand |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | handuz | hand |