Where does “Handkäse” come from?

Handkäse (German) comes from German hand, from Middle High German hant, from Old High German hant, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand, from Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic handuz — hand.

Handkäse (German): hand cheese (literal meaning)

Definitions

  1. hand cheese (literal meaning)

Ancestry of “Handkäse”, step by step

Handkäse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German hand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhandhand
2Middle High Germanhanthand
3Old High Germanhanthand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand

via German Käse

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanKäsecheese; nonsense
2Middle High Germankæsecheese
3Old High Germankāsicheese
4Proto-West Germanickāsīcheese
5Proto-Germanickāsijazcheese
6Latincāseuscheese
7Proto-Indo-Europeankwat-to ferment, become sour; to boil
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →Every word from Old Norse hǫnd →Every word from Old Swedish hand →