Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sure-handed” come from?

sure-handed (English) comes from English sure, from Middle English sure, from Middle French sur, from Old French seür, from Latin super, from Latin eks-uper, from Proto-Indo-European upéri, from Proto-Indo-European upér.

sure-handed (English): Dexterous; skilled and smooth at a manual task;...

Definitions

  1. Dexterous; skilled and smooth at a manual task;...

Ancestry of “sure-handed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsurePhysically secure and certain, non-failing,...
2Middle Englishsuresafe, protected; fortified, well-defended,...
3Middle Frenchsur—
4Old FrenchseürAlternative form of seur; sure
5Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
6Latineks-uper—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
9Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “sure-handed”

  • sure-handedness
  • sure-handedly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →